Pluto Projector
by PetrovasWolf
Summary: (BOOK 2) After Tessa's entire life changes, she struggles to find ways to cope. The external battle of her life is nothing compared to the internal battle she has to fight. Her feelings towards Stiles grow stronger, Lydia begins to change, and her relationship with Derek is toxic. It's hard to find the end when the road is so long. (SEASON 2)
1. Chapter 1

**Welcome back to my Teen Wolf book series! I apologize for how long it took for me to get this first chapter. I was mostly late because I rewrote it a hundred times and also got pretty busy in life. But, here it is. I am so excited to begin this journey again and can't wait to see the reactions along the way. You all have been so amazing to me and I will never be able to put into words how happy I am. **

**Go on! Read! Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I give all the right to CW and Jeff Davis. I do not own any of the characters or their plot lines. I only own Tessa, her sister, and her story line. This will be the only disclaimer given throughout the story.**

* * *

_"Tessandra Bradley!"_

_I let out an exasperated noise, clutching my hands to the side of the head. "Lydia, you know I hate it when you call me by my full name. We've been over this."_

_"And I hate it when you refuse to do anything I tell you to do." Lydia chirped back, giving me a sharp look. She barely gave me enough time to prepare before she launched a dress at me. "Stop complaining and try this on already."_

_"I don't wear dresses. Right, Allison?" I turned my head to look at the brunette who was perched on Lydia's desk chair on the opposite side of the room. Allison nodded curtly. "She knows this. Why is she the only one who listens to me?"_

_Lydia rolled her eyes. "I listen to you." She argued, but then shrugged. "I just choose to also disregard anything you have to say because I know better."_

_"Great." I grumbled and grabbed the dress, lifting it up to look at it._

_As much as it killed me, the dress was actually a gorgeous piece of clothing. It was a white sundress that had lace detailing along the edges and it seemed to flow as I wiggled it in front of my face. Lydia had bought it on her last shopping spree and she enjoyed shoving me into clothing that made me uncomfortable. It was her favorite ploy to get me to act like a normal girl every so often, and she took great pleasure in watching me squirm. Regardless of how much I hated dressing up, I never hated spending time with Lydia and Allison. I didn't mind hanging out with Scott and Stiles, but we were always on the run or trying not to die. Hanging out with them was...normal and carefree._

_"Oh, I know that look." Lydia hummed as she wiggled a finger in my face. Then, she planted her hands on her hips with a proud smirk. "You like it."_

_I took on an offended look and smacked my lips together. "Wha-I-I don't mind it." I responded, shaking my head. "Doesn't mean that I like it."_

_"Stiles would like it."_

_"Allison!" I snapped and jerked around to look over my shoulder at the girl who was now breaking out into giggles. She grinned at me devilishly while my cheeks turned a dark shade of red._

_"What?" She questioned innocently once she calmed down from her laughing, chewing on her thumbnail. "Am I wrong?"_

_"How would you know what Stiles even likes?" I scoffed as I tossed the dress to the side and stood up from the bed. I marched over to grab my glass of water and downed it._

_"Someone is defensive." Allison murmured, giving me a knowing look. "It's okay, you know? Humans have feelings and that is normal."_

_"I have feelings. Just like I have a strange feeling to strangle you." I snapped back at her, sending her a venomous smile. "Am I getting that right?"_

_"If I had a dollar for every time she gave us a death threat, I'd be able to buy a whole new wardrobe." Lydia said almost to herself as she shook her head disapprovingly and then hung the dress back up in her closet._

_"Whatever you think you know, is totally wrong." I stated firmly, crossing my arms over my chest. "I'm serious. Nothing is going on between the two of us."_

_"And that's the problem, sweetheart." Lydia replied as she patted me on the shoulder lightly. "Just get on with it already."_

_"It's not as easy as you seem to think it is." I told her, shaking my head and then moving away from her hand. "Seriously. Don't press on about it anymore. I'm done with this conversation."_

_"Alright, I got the memo." Allison held up her hands in mock surrender and then gave me a weak smile. "Sorry. Didn't realize it was so touchy."_

_"It's not. I'm fine." I responded quietly and then sighed. "Can we just go to lunch already?"_

* * *

I remembered when my Dad died, the days went by so quickly. They had come and gone so fast that I barely had time to cope. Emotions were pushed aside and packed away until I had the chance to experience them. We had moved to Beacon Hills shortly after his passing and my mother's departure. I know why Andre had chosen it now. It never made sense to me how we had ended up here, but as I finally had the time to think on my own, everything fell together. She had chosen to come here because she was attempting to bring me closer to family-my real family. Maybe she was going to use it as a salvation and something to protect me from the harsh reality I was facing at the time. I couldn't decide if she had made a mistake or changed my entire life.

The days that followed after the formal were brutal. They went by agonizing slow, three days feeling like three years. I often stared at the clock, cursing at it for ticking away the minutes that passed where my best friend wasn't awake. I tried not to look too long at Lydia in fear that the guilt might collapse on top of me. The pain I felt in my chest was so intense and so real that it sometimes felt hard to breathe. I found myself hopelessly wishing that it had been me. I knew that it never would've been. Peter would've never attacked me. That part angered me.

I had sworn off Derek completely after we had left the Hale house. I hadn't spoken a word to him in days, but that part was easy. His absence from the hospital made him conveniently avoidable. I wasn't sure what I would say to him. One thing was for certain, I knew there was absolutely nothing he could say to me. He had played us all. Regardless of whether or not Scott would've been cured, Derek was going to take that chance for himself. I had never thought of Derek to be selfish. He had seemed so intent on helping Scott as long as we helped him find out who the alpha was. His true colors had come out that night. Derek was not my brother.

Andre had brought me a change of clothes and some food to eat the morning after the formal. I hadn't left Lydia's side since we left the Hale house. Stiles and Jackson dropped me off after several minutes of worried arguing. Stiles didn't want to let me stay because he was concerned that Derek might come after me. I assured him that he wouldn't. Jackson hadn't said much and I wondered if what I had said to him before I left him last night had resonated within him. I almost felt bad but then I remembered how much of an asshole he was not just to me, but to Lydia as well. Sure, I had appreciated his concern for her when we were on the lacrosse field, but had treated her like garbage just hours before that.

It wasn't until mid-afternoon the second day that I was at the hospital that I stumbled across the stupid, spastic, and quite obnoxious boy lingering in my mind. Somehow, I had almost forgotten that Stiles had kissed me before he left with Peter to help find Scott. It had been his promise that he would make it back and we hadn't talked about it since. I was sort of glad that there was no time for conversation. I wasn't sure what to say. Sure, I totally had a crush on Stiles, but there was no way he had just magically fallen out of love with Lydia. I wondered if maybe he had just done it in the heat of the moment. Stiles was, surprisingly, unpredictable. He was smart enough to know exactly what he was doing, but I wasn't that lucky. I had no idea what he had been thinking before he kissed me.

On the third day, I finally had enough torment from the silence in the room. Lydia's mother had gone to speak with the police for another few hours and Mr. Martin's absence was nothing but expected. He continued to work even though his daughter was in a coma. Nonetheless, the stillness of the room was deafening. I would've welcomed the sound of the heart monitor but it had been tuned out. I couldn't recognize the tone anymore.

I was unable to stop myself from leaning forward in my seat. My fingers twitched as I glanced up at Lydia's face and swallowed hard, eyes drifting over the pale skin. Even in her state, she was still just as gorgeous as Stiles always described. I found myself almost getting jealous, a smile flickering across my face as a soft snort left my lips.

"You know," I began, my voice sounding foregin to my own ears, "you would totally be having a fit over the gown they're making you wear. I mean, that is totally not your shade."

When I got no response, I sniffed hard and tucked hair behind my ear. "I-I hope that you can hear me." I whispered, lacing my fingers together and resting them on the bed. "Actually, I'm kinda hoping that you can't. I think I've finally gone crazy enough to start talking to the air. My head is getting too cramped and I need to make some room."

Letting out a shaky breath, my eyes glanced around the room. I took in the boring painting of a scenery right beside the white board where they had been keeping up on her condition. Afterwards, they drifted towards the cross that hung on the left side of the bathroom door which was currently cracked. I could only see a sliver of the bathroom, but it was too dark for me to really make out anything. There were flowers and balloons sent from Lydia's "friends". The largest bouquet, though, was from Stiles and it sat on one of the tables in the corner of the room. Of course, they were all roses and there was a card that had his chicken-scratch writing on it. It held an apology and a promise that she would get better soon. Even despite the circumstances, Stiles still treated it as though there was nothing supernatural involved. We all knew better.

"A lot of stuff has happened in the past few days and I think it's catching up to me now." I said, scratching at my forehead and letting my eyes drop down to the tiled floor. "Actually, a lot of stuff has happened in the last few months and I haven't even gotten the chance to process it all. I'm surprised I haven't totally gone out of my mind. Like-like…my dad died. My fucking Dad died, Lydia and I moved here so fast, it was almost like I was trying to move myself to another reality. I went to the funeral and then moved that next morning."

There was a shaky breath that left my lips as I willed myself not to cry. I had already cried too much in my lifetime, this last week including almost all of those times. I had always worried about making myself seem vulnerable, but I was almost positive that Peter had broken down that wall for me. Regardless of whether or not he was living, his presence still hung over me like a dark cloud. I could hear his voice in my head every time I shut my eyes and I could see his face staring right back at me. He always reminded me of how insignificant I was. Stiles and Scott would lose nothing if I were to subtract myself from the equation. And that was so obvious to me that it made me sick to my stomach. I had always thought I belonged but Peter showed me that I was wrong.

"I don't know what I'm going to do anymore." I whispered, my voice paper thin as I shook my head. I pressed my knuckles to my lips as my eyes stung violently. "I feel like I'm floating in a dark abyss and it's carrying me further away from my life. I'm not who I thought I was anymore, even though I tried to convince myself one last time. Allison can't even look me in the eye without looking like she might start crying. I had lied to her-someone she wholeheartedly trusted. Sure, Scott could lie to her, but she relied on me to never be that person. I was the one she counted on to be honest and I disrespected that in every single way possible. I disrespected your trust in the same way, Lydia. I-I saw the look on your face when I came to your house that night. You were hurt that I was lying to you and I continued to do it anyway. I can't decide if I'm protecting you guys or hurting you anymore. The line is so faded."

I felt the tear roll down my cheek despite the effort I had made to stop it. I quickly sniffled and wiped it away, trying to ignore that it had ever happened. The lump had grown so large in my throat that I found it impossible to talk anymore. When I looked at Lydia's emotionless face, it only became harder to breathe. I covered my face with my hands, inhaling through my nose and exhaling out of my mouth. Hearing my thoughts allowed was crippling and made me feel like a piece of glass. I was a piece of glass that was beginning to crack and anymore pressure would dabilitate me completely.

My head snapped up when there was a knock on the door. I quickly wiped my face and made sure that there was no indication that I had been crying. It swung open without me having to say anything and I let out a breath when I saw who it was.

"As if this couldn't get worse." I hummed sarcastically, my eyes glaring down the two boys who looked like a deer caught in the headlights. "What are you two doing here?"

"What are you still doing here?" Stiles demanded, analyzing me with a bewildered expression. "I thought you were home."

"You thought or you were hoping I was home?" I questioned, crossing my arms and raising my eyebrows up at him in questioning.

"Well, uh, both." Stiles answered honestly, grimacing and rubbing the back of his neck. "We were sort of hoping no one would be here because, well, we aren't supposed to be here."

"Imagine that." I mumbled to myself and I rubbed my eyes, exhaling sharply. "Whatever. Again, what the hell are you two doing here?"

Scott spoke this time, looking timid. "We came to check on Lydia." He admitted, nodding his head. Glancing over at Stiles, he cleared his throat. "If you don't mind, of course."

For a moment, I panicked. I had been so used to being alone with Lydia and looking over her that I was afraid to let anyone else touch her. Then, I remembered just who was with me. Scott and Stiles would never let anything happen to Lydia.

"No, o-of course not." I replied with a deep exhale. I rubbed my palms on my thighs and then rose to my feet. "I actually have a chance to run down to the vending machine. I'll be right back."

Smiling weakly at the two boys, I nodded and then walked across the room. I passed directly by Stiles who, to my surprise, suddenly reached out and took my hand. "What are you-?"

"We came to check on you, too." Stiles told me, his eyes staring a hole directly through mine once I looked up to meet his gaze.

"Well, I'm fine. I'm not the one lying in a hospital bed, Stiles." I murmured, the shaky smile still on my lips. I retracted my hand from his own and then left the room before there could be any further protest.

Once I was out of the room, I let out the breath I had been holding. It had also been one of the first times I had left the hospital room entirely and it felt awkward. It felt wrong and I wanted to turn around and run back to where Lydia was. I knew that I needed to let Scott and Stiles have their time with her so I refrained from doing so. Glancing around my environment, I wrinkled my nose. I had spent enough time in waiting rooms and this one was just as bland as the other one. No one sat in the chairs outside of her room and it looked like none of the magazines had even been touched. Doctors and nurses bustled around, their low murmurs crowding my head.

Finally, I got my feet to move and I wandered down a hallway. I passed by the vending machine and found myself pushing through the door that led to the bathroom. I knew there was one in Lydia's room, but I needed out while they were there. Once I got inside, I made sure that the door was locked and that I was the only one inside the bathroom. I decided on a sink to lean over, letting out deep breaths to try and relax myself. It was impossible. My hands gripped the sides of the sink until my knuckles were white and loose pieces of hair fell in front of my vision. Eventually, I leaned my head up to look at myself in the mirror.

A lump formed in my throat the longer I looked at myself. I looked tired and disheveled. There were dark rings beneath my eyes that were stained red with the lack of sleep and crying that I had done. The braid I had put my hair was falling out and long pieces were framing a face that looked void of anything joyful. It looked like someone who had just lost everything and I almost felt like that. My chest felt tight and my emotions were riding the craziest roller coaster.

For a moment, I shut my eyes as if to rest them and I never would've known what a mistake that would be. As soon as the darkness clouded my vision, images of that last month flashed through my head. Everything that Peter had put us through suddenly replayed in my mind like a horror film. It started with the bus, and then the video store. It was all from the beginning and I could hear all of the sounds, feel everything, and I felt like I was standing in the middle of it all.

When my eyes fluttered open, I found myself standing in the middle of a forest. I wasn't sure exactly where I was, but I knew that it wasn't somewhere good. I turned in a slow circle to gather my surroundings. My breath swirled in front of my face and goosebumps rose on my arms from the cold. Looking down at myself, I saw that I was dressed in an outfit similar to the one I had worn to the Hale house. My brow furrowed and I swallowed hard, shaking my head.

"What the hell is this?" I breathed out, my voice sounding a lot louder than I had anticipated. It echoed around me and carried for miles.

"Would you believe me if I told you this was all a part of your own imagination?" A voice responded, the familiarity of it sending chills down my spine and I refused to turn around. I knew who I would see if I did. "This is all in your pretty little head, Tessandra."

"Wake up." I begged, lifting up my hands to clutch the sides of my head. I could feel my knees shaking and I tried to steady my breathing. "Come on! Wake up!"

"Oh, come on." Peter hummed from behind me and I could hear his footsteps getting closer, twigs crunching consistently. "I thought you're supposed to be the tough one. You aren't supposed to be afraid of anything."

"Please, just open your eyes." I continued to plead, trying to do something before Peter could reach me but I could feel him getting closer with each passing second.

"Or is that what you want everyone to believe?" Peter then whispered, his voice right beside my ear. I could feel his presence surrounding me now. "You keep up the facade so no one is disappointed when they get to know the real you. You're pathetic, Tessa, honestly. You were never meant to be a Hale."

"Shut up!" I screamed out suddenly, whipping around to face him. My face was masked with fury and my chest heaved as I stared Peter directly in the eyes. He was just as I remembered him and it was almost as if he had never died in the first place. All of this seemed so real and, at the moment, I was working hard to distinguish fantasy from reality. "You never even got to know who I really was. You just wasted time trying to get my friends killed."

Peter chuckled, not phased whatsoever by my outburst. He shook his head slowly and then crossed his hands in front of him. "I already completed my evaluation of you the second you moved here." He told me, shrugging his shoulders. "I didn't even have to ask any questions to understand who you truly were."

I scoffed, my tone bitter as I rolled my eyes. "Oh, I'm sure you did." I spat. "Was that while or after you locked me and my friends in the high school and tried to have us killed? Or maybe it was when you took the life of an innocent movie store clerk and left my best friend scared for life? Or-or was it when you left Lydia in a fucking hospital bed with a low chance of survival, Peter? Huh? When was it?"

Peter was quiet for a few moments as he processed what I had said. "You would never understand what it's like to do things that benefit your own survival." He responded calmly. "You work so hard to protect everyone else and you let yourself become harmed in the process."

"That is what you do for the people you care about." I shot back with intensity. "I care about my friends and I would risk my life any day if it meant they were safe. You were willing to risk Derek and I for your own personal gain. You would never understand what it's like to do things that benefit the people you love."

I watched as Peter's lips curled into what looked like a satisfied smile. "Oh, but haven't you sworn off Derek after he took my life?" He inquired, cocking up his eyebrow. "Your own brother."

"Don't call him that." I snapped through gritted teeth, narrowing my eyes. "He is not my brother."

"Sure he is." Peter argued, nodding his head curtly. "After all, he did everything to protect you, Tessa. You think he truly gave a damn about Scott or Stiles? You had no idea that he did this all for you."

"He became an alpha and betrayed Scott for me? Wow, how heroic of him." I responded with a shake of my head and roll of my eyes. "That doesn't make any sense, Peter."

"If it weren't for you, Derek would've never teamed up with Scott to find out who the alpha was." Peter explained and his expression was serious. That was the part that unnerved me the most. "He wanted to exterminate the alpha to make sure you weren't harmed in your time living here, regardless of whether or not you found out your true origin. You were the last family member he had left."

"Do you mean that...he killed you because he wanted to make sure I would be safe?" I questioned, my brow furrowing as I crossed my arms over my chest.

"That was I do believe, yes." Peter answered, the silence that followed after his statement nearly murdering me.

I began to shake my head rapidly. "No, this is insane. You're not even real and I'm not actually here right now." I said and held up a hand, backing away from Peter. "I wanna-I wanna wake up now. Let me wake up!"

Suddenly, I felt my foot catch on something as I walked backwards. The world spun in front of my eyes and the second I thought I was going to hit the forest floor, my eyes snapped back open. With a sharp gasp, I shot up from the vertical position I was now in. I was on the floor of the bathroom at the hospital and I scrambled to my feet, looking around. My eyes went downwards to observe what I was wearing, and I was relieved to see an old band t-shirt and a pair of sweatpants. Letting out a breath of relief, I pressed my palm to my forehead and blinked my eyes a few times.

"Hey, unlock the damn door! This is a public restroom, lady!"

"Shit," I swore underneath my breath and sprinted over to unlock the door, it swinging open rapidly. An older woman came in looking angry but I ran out before she had the chance to tell me off.

As I scurried down the hallway, I felt my chest moving up and down rapidly. In the most blunt way possible, I was terrified. What I had just seen had seemed so real and Peter had looked like he was breathing right in front of me. I guessed that maybe I hadn't exactly coped with the fact that I had watched two people die right before my eyes-murdered carelessly. Regardless of who they were, there was still blood and life leaving their expression. Kate's blood had sprayed across Allison and I. I had once felt Derek's blood hit my face. These past few months had gone by so quickly that I never stopped to really digest what had happened to me-to all of us. I had seen more dead bodies in the last month than I had ever seen in my entire life.

"Hey,"

Someone caught me by the arms before I had the chance to slam directly into their chest. Once their hands touched me, they brought me back to the universe and my eyes snapped up to look at the mystery person.

"Derek."

His name tasted bitter on my tongue and I felt bile rise up in the back of my throat. My eyes flickered across his face as if to really understand that it was him and not just a stranger that looked like him. The shake all across my body only worsened in his clutch.

"Tessa-"

"Get the hell off of me." I snapped, shoving his hands off my arms and not even bothering to take into consideration that we were somewhere public. "What are you doing here?"

"I-I-" Derek stammered and then let out a deep breath, scrubbing a hand down his face. "You wouldn't believe me if I told you."

I let out a bitter laugh. "You're right. I don't believe a goddamn thing you say to me. And I never will again. I made that mistake once." I spat and went to walk around him, but he blocked my path. "Scott and Stiles are here."

"They just left. A doctor was getting ready to check on Lydia so they left." Derek told me, shaking his head and refusing to get out of my way. "I had to come check on you. Andre told me that you'd be here."

"Andre told you?" I repeated and raised my eyebrows to which he nodded. "Right. So, you went to my house and, I guess, begged my sister to tell you where I am. Wouldn't it be obvious where I might be?"

Derek rolled his eyes. "Could you stop giving me an attitude for three seconds?"

"Are you kidding me?" I exclaimed, my eyes widening as I resisted the urge to slap him across the face. "I should stop giving you attitude for three seconds? Are you delusional, Derek?"

"Of course, but, I was hoping that maybe you would listen to me." Derek said, his eyes darting around the hospital as a few nurses whispered to each other but continued to keep walking. I wondered if people were still on the fact that Derek had once been a murder suspect. At this point, I didn't care.

"Why should I have to listen to anything that you have to say?" I demanded, crossing my arms over my chest and giving him a harsh stare. "You betrayed Scott, Derek. You led us on and then took everything that we worked for away from us. You looked Scott right in the eye and were going to take the cure for yourself. How could you do that? Is it the same way you could leave us when I begged you for help during the full moon? Or-or maybe it was when you let Peter come after Scott in the school bathrooms?"

Derek's eyes suddenly widened in shock, looking like he had just been caught with his hand in the cookie jar. "How did you-"

"It doesn't matter how I know. What matters is who you really are." I growled, taking a step towards him as I looked him in the eyes. "We risked our lives for you. We risked everything. And you just turned out to be a liar and a coward."

"Tessa, stop." Derek hissed through his teeth as he glared down at me sharply. "You don't understand."

"And I don't think I ever will, Derek. There is nothing you could ever say to fix what you did." I uttered, my voice cracking and I cursed at myself. I could feel my eyes beginning to sting for what felt like the millionth time today and I fought desperately to keep my emotions in check. Derek was the last person I wanted to cry in front of. "I trusted you. You-you are supposed to be my brother. But, now, I-I can't even-"

"Please, Tessa, wait." Derek begged as I tried to walk around him and I simply shook my head.

"No, Derek, it's over. I'm done." I told him, my voice serious and stern even though I looked at him with a sober gaze. "And, if you really want what is best for me, just stay away."

I forced my feet to walk down the hall even though there was a part of me that didn't want to. There was still the smallest part of me that wanted to believe that Peter was right. It wanted to believe it because I wanted to have more family. Of course, I appreciated Andre and everything she did for me but, Derek had given me a sliver of hope. I had really thought that I might've found my real family and who I could belong to. He had crushed that with the intensity of an iron fist and, for that, I would never forgive him.

Without turning back, I continued down the hall until I got back to Lydia's room. Once there, I shut the door behind me and leaned against it with a heavy sigh, my head now swirling with the two things that had just happened to me. I hoped that, as crazy as it sounded, I had just passed out in the bathroom and hit my head. That would explain how I had experienced that conversation with Peter. I would then forget about my conversation with Derek and never tell anyone that it had even happened. He was foolish for showing up here in the first place.

I stumbled back over to the chair and let my body sink down into it. Another deep sigh left me and I let my eyes flutter shut for a moment. There was only darkness-no sign of Peter or dead bodies. There was nothing but me and everlasting darkness.

I realized that this moment was the beginning of a very long road ahead of me.

* * *

**A/N: BOOM! First chapter is done. I decided to do sort of a filler chapter because that was how I started the first book and I decided to add in some character interactions. I thought of the Peter one on a whim and thought it might spice up Tessa's story a little bit.**

**Please, please, please leave reviews. I love them so much and they inspire me a whole crap ton. And if you're still here from the last story, let me know!**

**Thanks, ya'll.**

**-Laura**


	2. Chapter 2

**Welcome to the first episode chapter of this second book. I decided to add in some scenes I deemed were ****necessary**** to the plot and just the character's themselves and that's partially why this chapter ran a little long. Nonetheless, I hope you enjoy!**

* * *

Once I had settled back in the room, I had talked to Lydia again. It was mostly about Stiles and Allison. I hardly had much to say about Derek and I wasn't exactly ready to face any of that again. Soon after, I had watched TV on the small black screen that hung above the doorway. The hospital had access to movies and, as I watched, I'd make small jokes to Lydia. If she were awake, she would've most definitely hit me at that point. Her mom came by to visit and bring me dinner, say how grateful she was that I had been spending my time with Lydia.

Little did she know, the guilt forced me to stay. There was no way I could leave without a giant black hole opening up in my chest and eating me alive. When I even so much as left to the bathroom later on that day, I felt like I was doing her a dishonor by leaving.

I didn't want to miss the moment that she woke up.

"Andre, it's not time yet." I mumbled in my sleep the next morning, feeling a hand reach out to grab my own. It shook my arm gently. "Please just let me sleep in."

For a moment, it stopped and I let out a breath through my nose. I was relieved that she had left and that I would now be able to sleep before school. After everything, I wasn't ready to go back and needed to rest up before I went back to that nightmare.

Suddenly, the hand made a more aggressive movement. "Andre, I said that-!"

When I sat up to snap at my sister, I suddenly realized that I was in Lydia's hospital room. The voice was drained from my throat once I realized who was holding my hand. My eyes travelled up her arm and then to her face. I saw it then-Lydia's eyelids moving frantically.

"Lydia? Lydia!" I exclaimed, gripping her hand and hovering over her face as my breathing began to pick up. I finally heard the sound of the heart monitor and her heart rate was faster than it had been in four days.

Suddenly, I saw her eyes opened into small slits and I could see the faintest color of green. As soon as I registered that she was waking up, I released her hand and sprinted out of the door and to the nurses station. In seconds, I was back in the room as doctors rushed in to assist Lydia. At one point, they ushered me to exit the room and to call her parents. I did exactly as they asked and paced in front of the door until the last doctor left the room.

"You're welcome to go back in, Ms. Bradley. I think she's expecting you." The doctor said with a small smile and then wandered off down the hall.

I wasted no time in shoving open the door. I felt my heart stop at the sight of Lydia, seeing her sitting upright. Her hair was a little messed, and her skin had gotten some color back. She was messing with the collar of her hospital gown and eyed the tubes on the top of her hand. It was a few seconds later that she noticed I was in the room and her green eyes fell on me.

"Well," She rasped, her voice sounding almost unreal to me. "Are you just going to stare at me?"

I couldn't help the laugh that escaped my lips, the relief washing over me like a tidal wave. I placed a hand on my forehead and pushed hair out of my face, shaking my head. "I-I don't know why I was expecting a different response."

"How ignorant of you." Lydia teased, a small smirk appearing on her pink lips. She flicked some hair over her shoulder.

It was then I also realized something. Although Lydia seemed to be acting normal, there was still something about off. Her movements of sass seemed rather forced and the smirk staggered on her voice. Her voice was paper thin and there were dark bags beneath her eyes. I couldn't even begin to comprehend what might be going through her head and I wasn't sure how to treat her. I knew she wouldn't want me to ask questions-Lydia would never tell me what she was really feeling. I wondered if she might be in denial and that she might want to avoid the fact that she had been in a coma for the past 48 hours. I wondered if she remembered what she had seen. I wondered if she knew I was really hiding something from her.

"I called your parents." I told her, shutting the door behind me and then walking further into the room. "They should be here soon."

Lydia nodded, flattening the blanket next to her side. "How long have you been here?" She asked, her brow furrowing as she eyed me curiously.

I swallowed hard and then carefully perched myself back into the chair at her bedside. "I, uh, I've been here…" I pinched the bridge of my nose and then sighed out heavily. "This is my fourth day here."

"What?" Lydia exclaimed, her voice still soft. When I looked up at her, I saw that she was genuinely surprised. Her lips had curved in an 'o' shape and her eyebrows had risen nearly to her hairline. "Tessa, you haven't gone home?"

I shook my head. "I wanted to stay with you until you woke up. I thought you might like to see a familiar face." I offered up a weak smile but Lydia still looked stunned. "I-I promise I've showered and changed my clothes. Andre brought me a bag. Your mom brought dinner, too."

"Oh, my God, Tessa." Lydia gawked as she sat back in her bed and shook her head. "I should've guessed. You're one of the most stubborn people I have ever met."

"It's a pleasure." I responded and gave her a two finger salute to which she rolled her eyes. "Hey, you know, it's been awfully weird not feeling like an alien every ten minutes."

Lydia let a proud smile come onto her lips. "And that is my pleasure."

"So, uh, h-how are you feeling?" I asked, deciding to breach the question even though I knew I wouldn't get an honest response.

Lydia seemed to grow quiet, clearing her throat and then looked down into her lap. Her fingers fiddled with a loose piece of string on her blanket and she shrugged. "As good as I can be after being in a coma." She responded and I could hear a slight quip to her voice. I knew it wasn't meant to be mean, but it was meant to send a message. She wasn't doing well. "You know, waking up to a whole bunch of doctors asking you a thousand questions, grabbing her arm, flashing lights in your face, and shoving pills down your throat."

"Lydia, they're just trying to-"

"They don't know what I am going through." Lydia cut me off, her head snapping to look at me. "They don't know what it's like to be trapped inside your own head and not be able to get out for days. Yet, they act like they have all the answers and all the cures. No one understands, Tessa."

I was stunned for a few moments, having never heard Lydia talk like this before. I swallowed hard and laced my fingers in my lap, looking down at them. "I-I know I don't understand, Lydia. I don't know if I ever will." I admitted. "But, I...I am just really freaking glad that you're awake. That is what I know I can understand."

The barrier Lydia had just put up between me and her faltered for a moment, her face twitching as her shoulders sagged. I then saw the most genuine smile fall onto her lips as her eyes twinkled for just a moment.

"I'm glad I'm awake, too." The girl murmured and then she ducked her head.

A few moments later, the door burst open again. Mr. and Mrs. Martin hustled into the room. I respectively stood in the corner of the room, letting them have their moment with their daughter. As I watched them both caress and comfort Lydia, I tried to ignore the slight pain that erupted across my chest. I thought it was selfish to be feeling this way when it was so obvious that Lydia was in the worst position at the moment. Yet, as I watched two parents comfort their child, I just couldn't help but realize that I would never have that again. My biological parents were dead, my father was dead, and my "mother" was non existent. I would never truly have a family and that made my chest clench in ways I didn't even think were possible.

"I feel disgusting." Lydia said after about a half hour of simply watching the television. "I probably haven't bathed in days and that's a record for me."

She pushed herself up out of the bed and Mr. Martin whipped around to look at her.

"You want help getting in the shower?" He asked, for once sounding like he actually wanted to play a parental figure in her life. Lydia had told me about her father and I wasn't the biggest fan of him. I had made that crystal clear the first time I met him.

Lydia got to her feet and glared at the older man. "Maybe if I was four, and still taking bubble baths." She replied back in a harsh tone, moving passed him towards the bathroom.

I couldn't help the snicker that left me, placing a hand over my mouth once Mr. Martin gave me a pointed look. I raised up my hand as some sort of apology and then looked away from the scene. He mumbled something to himself and then stepped out of the room. For a moment, I thought I saw someone strewn across the waiting room chairs, but didn't have the chance to analyze it.

Confused, I pushed myself up out of the chair and made my way over to the door. I opened it to find Mr. Martin and Mrs. McCall standing there.

"He's been here all weekend." Mrs. McCall finished saying, gesturing towards the waiting room.

My eyes widened once I realized who it was. My jaw fell open and I nearly choked on my breath. Of course I wouldn't have noticed, I hadn't even left the room since they came to visit. Stiles must've come back later that night and then never left. I wondered if he'd heard me talking to Lydia. I wondered what would've happened if I would've come out of the room any sooner than right then. The thought was terrifying and something I didn't even have the energy to process. Stiles and I still needed to talk, but I wasn't ready for that. I wasn't sure if I ever would be and that was the problem.

"Do you know him?" Mr. Martin asked, turning his head to look at me.

"Uh, yeah." I responded, letting out a breath as I rubbed the back of my neck. "That's Stiles. He, uh, he's a friend of Lydia."

"I've never heard of a "Stiles" before." Mr. Martin noted, crossing his arms over his chest and looking suspicious of the boy.

"Yeah, there's probably a lot of things you don't hear of when you're never home." I shot back with a fake smile, giving him one last look before deciding to move towards where Stiles lay.

I hovered over his sleeping form, seeing the drool that was coming from the corner of his mouth. He took up nearly three chairs in the most uncomfortable position I had ever seen someone sleep in. I wondered how it was possible he was sleeping so deeply that he could snore when his back was just crying to be diagnosed with scoliosis. I had to bat away the "Get Well Soon" balloon that lingered annoyingly in my headspace. I figured I would never get a clear answer and couldn't help but laugh when he began to mumble nonsense in his sleep.

"You're dirty." He then said, a sentence that was actually clear enough for me to understand.

My eyes widened and I felt my cheeks flush, shifting uncomfortably where I stood. I decided to stop leaning over him and cleared my throat. "Okay, you're waking up now." I whispered and then kicked the leg of the chair with my foot.

The chair squeaked loudly and jerked away from the other set of chairs beside it. Stiles nearly fell but his eyes snapped open and he shot up to a seat to catch himself. His chest heaved up and down rapidly as he tried to comprehend just where exactly he was. Taking in the surroundings of the hospital first, he seemed to relax. Then, his gaze fell on me and he instantly looked furious.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" He demanded, adjusting his jacket aggressively. "Don't you know how to wake someone up kindly?"

"You got a little something on your…"I trailed off and touched my face. Stiles looked horrified and then violently began to scrub at his cheek. "And, sure I do. Except, that was way more fun to watch, Stilinski."

Stiles rolled his eyes and let out an annoyed groan before sitting upright in the chair. He rubbed the sleep from his eyes and released an abnormally loud yawn, tapping his sneakers against the floor. I pushed some hair out of my face and tried not to act as nervous as I felt. It was just Stiles I was talking to.

"I wasn't sure if you were ever going to come out of there. People came and went, but I never saw you." Stiles said, putting his hands on his knees and looking up at me where I stood in front of him. "So, if you're out here, that must mean something is different in there."

"Lydia woke up about an hour ago." I told him and I could see the relief watch over his features. "I ran out here in such a frenzy that I didn't even see you, I guess."

"Thank God." He said and slumped in the chair, shutting his eyes for a moment. "That-that is the best news I've heard all month."

I smiled slightly. "Now, that is something I actually agree with you on." I told him and then decided it would be less awkward if I actually sat down with him. I stared at the linoleum floor in silence for the next few moments before speaking. "I hear you've been here all weekend."

"Of course I have. There was no way I was just going to go home while Lydia was cooped up here." Stiles replied, shaking his head and blowing out a breath. "My anxiety about the whole situation hasn't done much to help me, either."

"Trust me, I know." I responded, bobbing my eyebrows and nodding my head. "I sleep a total of three hours a day. And that's on a good one."

Stiles nodded in agreement and tapped his shoe a few more times. "You know, I think it's really great that you stayed here with her this whole time. It...shows how much you really care about her." He told me.

"I would do it for anyone." I admitted. "If it were you, Scott, or even Allison. I wouldn't leave your side until I knew that you would be okay."

"As much as you seem to disagree, I happen to think that you aren't, like, the worst person to ever walk the face of the Earth." Stiles said, tipping his head from side to side in thought. "Like, there are plenty of other people who are a lot worse than you."

"Like Adolf Hitler? Or...Joseph Stalin?" I questioned, naming them off on my fingers. I got more excited with each one. "Oh, this is a good one-Isaac Newton. He just had to go and invent calculus."

"Isaac Newton? Really?" Stiles demanded, furrowing his brow as he shook his head. "Actually, I meant someone more like Derek freaking Hale."

I sat stunned for a moment, struck by Stiles' choice of words. I knew he had every right to be upset with Derek-Scott was his best friend. He had been skeptical of Derek since the beginning and even I had tried to convince him to give Derek a chance. It was a cynical situation, really. Stiles had been right the whole time and we had been so naive to disagree. Regardless of it all, it didn't make the pain I felt in my chest hurt any less. I had begun to trust Derek, confide in him, and had just discovered that he was my brother. I was ready to follow him as family, but he had turned against me-turned against us.

Stiles hadn't fully realized that I had gone silent and shook his head for a few minutes. Then, as if confused as to why I hadn't responded, he turned to look at me. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw his own widen drastically and his jaw went slack.

"Tessa, I am-"

"He came to see me yesterday." I cut him off, not even upset with him for saying Derek was a terrible person. "When I went to the, uh, the vending machine. He showed up here."

"What?" Stiles exclaimed, sitting up in his seat. "W-Why didn't you call out for us? Scott could've heard you from the freaking sixth floor."

I shook my head. "I wasn't in any danger." I responded blandly.

"Yeah, maybe not right at that moment." Stiles pointed out, his voice stern as he gave me a bewildered look. "Tessa, you know we can't trust him anymore, right? Derek is obviously not on our side and that means he might hurt you."

I shoved hair out of my face and let out a sharp exhale. "I am not going to spend my life being afraid of him. Peter was a psychopath and he never laid a finger on me. If Derek wanted to hurt me, he would've done it a long time ago." I argued, shrugging my shoulders and shifting my head to eye Stiles. "I am tired of being afraid."

Stiles opened his mouth to protest but seemed to fall short with whatever he wanted to say. He let out a deep exhale and pressed his lips together, dragging a hand down his face. "Look, I know you're self-righteous and independent or whatever, but I can't have you being reckless because of it." He explained.

I gave him a crooked smile and snorted. "Isn't that sort of my brand? Being stubborn and reckless?" I questioned and raised my eyebrows.

Stiles tried to fight it for a moment but then let a smile break out onto his face. "Yeah, I guess so. And being spastic and sarcastic is mine." He replied.

As I sat staring at Stiles, my eyes narrowed in on his adorable smile. I admired how his moles all squished together as his dimples overran the skin that was there. When Stiles smiled at me, I felt like the whole world was put on pause and we were the only two people in motion. Once I realized that I was staring at him, I cleared my throat.

Clapping my hands on my thighs, I rose from the chair. "I'm starving." I announced, pushing hair behind my ears. "The vending machine is over here."

I gestured around the corner and began walking before he could respond properly. Instead, I heard him make a few unnatural noises and heard the chair squeak as he scrambled to stand up. I then could make out the sound of his sneakers slapping against the tile as he caught up to me.

"Pick your poison." Stiles offered and then shoved his hand in his pocket, digging around for change.

"Nah, I've got my own money." I declined, waving a hand at him as if to physically wave away the offer.

Stiles, with his hand still jammed in his pocket, snapped his head to look at me with a peeved expression. "Tessa, will you just tell me what the hell you want?" He ordered and gestured at the vending machine with his other limb.

I relented and let out an annoyed sigh, rolling my eyes. "Fine." I said, "I want a Reece's."

Stiles smiled proudly. "Excellent choice." He said and then inserted the coins.

He pushed the corresponding letter and number to my candy. We heard the machine take the money and then watched as the candy slowly began to come forward. Then, the machine stopped with the candy just barely over the edge. I crossed my arms over my chest while Stiles reached out a hand and began to push the enter button repeatedly.

"Seriously? Come.." Stiles groaned and then reached up a hand to slap the plexiglass window.

"Stiles, it's not that big of a deal."

"I put my money into this damn thing and I want the candy." He said, glancing at me over his shoulder before looking back at it.

Then, before I could even formulate an argument, he had his arms wrapped around the entire machine and was shaking it wildly.

"Stiles, stop that." I hissed beneath my breath, glancing around the hall to make sure that no one could see us. "Are you really that stupid?"

The boy ignored me and then released it once he realized nothing had changed. In his frustration, he rushed forward and began to rock it spastically. I heard the sound of something coming unhinged and I jumped out of the way just in time as the vending machine tipped forward. It hit the floor with a loud crash and the glass shattered. Stiles stood above it with his arms out at his sides and a horrified expression.

"Oh, you are such a dumbass." I groaned, placing my hands over my face and tipping my head up towards the ceiling.

"Did you have any better ideas? I didn't see you trying to help." Stiles spat back, tossing an angry glare my way. "All I heard was sarcastic comments."

"I told you to leave it."

"I wanted my money!"

"You could've asked someone to unlock it!"

"I-"

Our argument was suddenly cut off by the most terrifying sound I had ever heard in my entire life. The scream was high pitched and shrill, sounding like nails against a chalkboard. It echoed throughout the entire hospital and once it was over, it went deadly silent.

"Oh my God," I uttered to myself, my gut telling me exactly where it had come from. "Lydia!"

I took off down the hallway towards her room at lightning speed, my legs and arms pumping at their max capacity. I shoved through people who had stopped working once the scream had happened and felt my breathing going way too fast to be normal.

"What the hell was that?" Ms. McCall demanded as her, Mr. Martin, Stiles, and I all shoved through the door into her hospital room.

I shoved through the crowd and towards the bathroom, knowing she had gone in there just before I had left. I could hear the shower going and when I opened the door, I expected to see her standing in the tub. What I found was an empty shower-an empty bathroom. No one was inside and I felt my heart drop to the squeaky clean tile floor. Mrs. McCall went to shut off the shower as I spun a slow circle around the bathroom.

"Where-where did she-?" I gasped, stepping back into the main room for a moment, hoping that maybe we had missed her in the frenzy. I moved her blankets around and went out into the waiting room. I stumbled back into the bathroom, looking to Stiles for an answer. Without a word, he pointed to his left.

I turned my head and saw the open window. I sprinted over and clasped my hands on the sill, sticking half of my body out the open window to look down. I was grateful to not see anything at the bottom, but was unsettled that I also didn't see anything either. It was as though Lydia had just vanished into thin air. Somehow, I felt responsible. I had promised to never leave her side and, as soon as I had, she had disappeared.

"I'll call my Dad." Stiles rasped and then withdrew his phone, stepping out of the room.

It was minutes before the cops arrived, Sheriff Stilinski at the head of it all. He walked with Ms. McCall and Mr. Martin down the hall, speaking with them about what to look for. Stiles and I stood off to the side until Sheriff Stilinski asked for any other descriptors. That was when Stiles became slightly less unpredictable.

"She's five foot three, green eyes, fair-skinned, and her hair is actually strawberry blonde." He told his father, sounding confident yet also nervous at the same time.

I let out an internal groan and palmed my forehead. "Way to sound like a creep." I muttered, shaking my head.

"Is that right?" Mr. Stilinski asked in a low whisper, nodding his head curtly.

"Yeah." Stiles replied back dumbly and I jumped when Mr. Stilinski grabbed Stiles by the back of his neck.

I flashed an awkward smile at the other two people involved and then speed walked to catch up with the father and his son. They didn't move far, but just out of earshot of Mr. Martin.

"What the hell are you still doing here?" He demanded of his son. His eyes glanced at me. "She has a real excuse. Her mother gave her permission."

"She did?" Stiles whined, looking defeated.

"Answer me." Mr. Stilinski growled, shaking him slightly.

"Uh, providing moral support." Stiles answered, not sounding entirely convinced himself.

"How about you provide your ass back home, where you should be?" Mr. Stilinski told his son in the most calm tone possible. I grimaced slightly at it myself and bounced on my toes rapidly, glancing around the hospital. I was hoping that Lydia would just pop out somewhere, maybe a little frazzled but relatively unscatched. I didn't think I was going to be so lucky.

"Okay, I can do that, too." Stiles responded back to his father, smacking his lips and nodding his head curtly.

His father released him, pleased with the response. Turning back around to speak with Ms. McCall and Mr. Martin, that was Stiles' cue to leave. I was about to walk back over to the group when a hand was suddenly clasped around my wrist.

"What the-?"

"You are coming with me." Stiles said, his voice low in tone as he dragged me down the hallway towards the elevator.

"What? Stiles, no, I have to stay here and help them find Lydia. Are you insane?" I tried to argue but Stiles remained adamant on taking me away.

"And they will. We're going to find her ourselves." Stiles replied, bobbing his eyebrows and then pushing the button on the elevator. I had no choice but to follow him inside.

"How exactly are we going to find Lydia? I don't even know where she could be right now and she's my best friend." I asked, crossing my arms over my chest and giving him a pointed look. "And I know you're totally obsessed with her, but you can't possibly know where she is."

"Sure, I have no clue." Stiles said and then withdrew something from his jacket. I recognized it as the hospital gown Lydia had been wearing before she had taken a shower. There was a small patch of blood on it and my eyes widened. "Don't freak out!"

I shoved Stiles in the chest aggressively against the wall of the elevator as it chimed softly. "What the hell is your plan here, Stilinski? You have five seconds to explain or I am going to dislocate every bone in your body."

"I called Scott, he can catch her scent, follow it, and find out where she went." Stiles spluttered, holding up his hands in mock surrender. The fear was evident on his face, his chest heaving up and down. We locked eyes until I finally decided to back down, letting out a breath through my nose.

"Good answer." I grunted before the doors opened up and I stormed out. I stayed mute the entire walk to the parking lot and saw the Jeep parked in the front row.

This was the first time I had been outside in four days. The outside world seemed abnormal and I felt so vulnerable. There were no walls to protect me and there was nowhere for me to hide. The last time I had been in the hospital parking lot, Kate had showed up and taken me to the Hale house. I remembered our conversation from that night and the thought of it all made me sick. I almost believed some of the things she had said about me. I had put Allison in danger and I had been a terrible friend by lying to her.

I shook my head to relieve myself of the nightmarish loop in my head and my eyes found Scott located in the passenger seat of the Jeep. I hadn't seen him since he had visited Lydia and noticed there was something different about him. His shaggy haircut was gone and he now sported a shorter hairstyle. You could now see more of his face and his uneven chin. I thought he looked older this way.

Stiles opened the door of the Jeep to let me in first. With a quick greeting to Scott, I climbed in the back. Leaning forward, I placed myself in between the two boys. Stiles handed the hospital gown over to Scott.

"This is the one she was just wearing?" Scott questioned, holding it tightly in his hand and looking to Stiles who nodded with a soft sigh. "I'm not gonna let anyone hurt her. Not again."

I found a pair of brown eyes poised on me just seconds later and I almost shrunk beneath them. I nodded to show him I understood, not sure if words were able to work for me at the moment. My stomach was flipping inside and out over and over again. I couldn't help but blame myself and wonder what I could've done to stop this from happening. I thought everything was over-but now Lydia was missing in the middle of the night. She was nude and the temperatures were nearly below freezing at this point. At the thought, I pulled the sweatshirt I had on tighter around my body. I couldn't imagine how cold Lydia might be.

"Alright, just shove the thing in your face and let's find her." Stiles urged Scott, waving his hand as if to expedite the process. Scott did as he asked and Stiles went to start up the Jeep.

As soon as the headlights flicked on, all three of us let out a noise of horror and surprise at the figure directly in front of the car. I had my back pressed against the backseat of the Jeep, holding a hand to my chest as I tried to slow my heart rate. I stared back at the girl in front of us, dressed for the occasion and also looking just as afraid.

"Allison?" I breathed out softly, my brow furrowing.

The dark-haired girl marched over to Scott's open window. "What are you doing here?" He demanded quietly. "Someone's gonna see us."

In the midst of everything that had happened, I had almost forgotten a topic of conversation Allison had when she came to visit Lydia on the second night. It was the last time we had spoken and there hadn't been much friendly talk. Scott and Allison were now no longer allowed to see each other. Long story short, Chris threatened Scott's life and was ready to kill him if he caught them together ever again. Allison informed me that she had no intention of staying away from Scott. She loved him and there was no stopping their inevitable time together. Her showing up here was a testament to that.

"I don't care. She is my best friend and we need to find her before they do." Allison replied back to Scott, her eyes flickering towards me. "Besides, Tessa's here and that means I get to go."

"Hey, whoa, don't drag me into this." I warned, pointing a finger at her and giving her a look to which she simply rolled her eyes.

"I can find her before the cops can." Scott insisted, nodding his head curtly.

"How about before my father does?" Allison pressed out, her voice lowering as she proposed her argument. I felt the blood run cold in my veins and Stiles shared a mortified look with me.

"He knows?" Stiles questioned.

"Yeah. I just saw him and three other guys leave my house in two SUV's." Allison explained, only making my anxiety skyrocket even higher than what it had been just moments before this whole thing.

"It's-It's like a search party." I murmured, leaning back forward in my seat and looking between the three of them.

"It's more like a hunting party." Allison corrected.

"Oh, that makes it so much better." I hummed sarcastically and dropped my head in my hands before I could see the glare I knew I was bound to get from Allison.

My head snapped back up when I heard Scott tell Allison to get inside the Jeep. I knew that the car was small and there was no way she was going to fit up front with the two of them. That meant the only open seat was directly next to me in the world's tiniest backseat. I scrambled to scoot over and make as much room for her as I could, not wanting to piss her off anymore than I already had. I understood that it was necessary that she come with us, but that didn't soothe my nerves about being around her in the first place.

Allison settled into the seat, letting out a deep sigh and placing her hands in her lap. She swallowed hard and licked her lips. For a moment, she said nothing. Then, she cleared her throat softly. "Hey." She greeted me.

"Hey." I replied back just as quietly, trying not to screw anything up. "I-I'm glad that you saw their father. We could've been walking into a line of fire tonight."

"I would never let that happen. Whatever my father thinks I should be, I'm not." Allison explained to me, shaking her head as she clasped her hands together. "I would never be like him. I know that...that Lydia isn't a monster and she would never hurt anyone."

"I second that." I agreed, nodding my head and then looking out the window as he backed out of the hospital and began driving in the direction that Scott instructed. He kept his head out the open window to keep track of the scent.

"Alright, but, if she's turning, would they actually kill her?" Stiles asked, looking back at Allison through the rearview mirror.

"I don't know. They won't tell me anything, okay?" Allison answered, sounding somewhat exasperated by the question. "All they say is, "We'll talk after Kate's funeral when the others get here"."

My brow furrowed after Allison had finished speaking and my mind tried to come up with answers on who "the others" might be. I wondered if it was more of Chris' henchmen or even more hunters than before. I wondered if it was a group who were a part of the government. Whoever they were, they already didn't sound good.

"What others?" Stiles asked.

"I don't know. They won't tell me that either." Allison answered once more, shaking her head and resting it on her fist.

"Okay, your family has got some serious communication issues to work on." Stiles stated to which I lightly punched the back of his seat, sending him a silencing glare.

"Scott, are we even going the right way?" I called out to the boy who had half of his body out of the window at this point.

"Take the next right!" Scott ordered and soon, I found myself catching Allison as she was flung over to my side of the Jeep. I was able to protect my head from smacking against the metal bar in the backseat and not let Allison's body weight crush me. We both let out surprised squeals and she tried to recover from the fall.

"Could you not drive like a jackass? I think it would be best if we all made it there alive." I snapped, shoving my head in between the seats to give Stiles yet another glare.

"Once again, are you driving? Are you the one who has to listen to the last minute direction from your werewolf best friend following the scent of your other friend who disappeared?" Stiles rambled on, his gaze flicking between me and the road several times. "Oh, that's right. You're not. Neither of the times we have been in fast automobile situations have you been driving because you don't even have your freaking license."

I scoffed. "That doesn't mean I can't drive." I pointed out.

"Well, legally." Allison piped up from the backseat, fixing her beanie and grimacing slightly when I glanced over my shoulder at her. "You sort of have to have a license to drive."

"Oh, like that movie with Corey Haim who is dead just like we are going to be if Stiles continues to drive with the integrity of a second grader." I snapped back at the boy who let out a low growl in the back of his throat, clenching his jaw together. "Next time, I will drive."

"I really hope that there isn't a next time, Tessa." Stiles replied, rolling his shoulders and adjusting his body while his foot pushed faster on the gas.

* * *

**A/N: Ugh, I loved the Stiles and Tessa scenes in this. I really missed writing them in their natural habitat where they're just so sarcastic and grumpy with each other. I also wasn't sure if I did a good job on writing the tension between Allison and Tessa, because there is supposed to be some. Allison isn't totally pissed at Tessa, but there is some shit that went down between them so there is obvi gonna be some tension.**

**Please leave reviews!**

_-Laura_


	3. Chapter 3

I hadn't remembered the drive to the Hale house being so long.

The other times I had been here, I had either been walking or was being driven by a psychotic aunt who wanted nothing more than to put bullets in the heads of all of my friends. I had really anticipated never going back, not exactly finding a reason to do so. The Hale house brought nothing but bad news and that was something I was so sure of. Once I had realized where we were going, my heart sank for that very reason. If Lydia had gone to the Hale house, something was very, very wrong with the situation. I wondered if it had something to do with the fact that Peter had bitten her. Part of me wasn't sure if that was entirely the case considering she had woken up completely human. I now knew that was why Scott and Stiles had come to "check on her".

They were making sure she wasn't a werewolf.

The Jeep rolled to a stop at the edge of the trailhead, a spot I knew all too well. It was silent all around us and I realized that the forest was a lot more unsettling at night. This was the first chance I had gotten to really see it without being dragged along by Kate. I appreciated Allison was more herself this time, but that didn't make the cold shoulder any easier to handle. I knew she was still upset with me and I respected her feelings. I knew I was at fault and it would probably take a thousand years to make it up to her.

Stiles flicked off the headlights which left us in almost total darkness. Scott helped Allison out of the Jeep first, making sure she got to the ground safely. Then, he held out a hand towards me and, naturally, I pushed it away. Jumping out myself, I landed on my feet and fixed the sweatshirt around my body again. I tucked some messy hair behind my ears, the wind from the window being open throwing it in all different directions. I had attempted to comb it out with my fingers, but it had all been in vain.

"You're sure this is where the scent went?" I asked Scott as he began leading us through the thick woods. I tucked my hands in the pocket of my hoodie and looked up towards him where he walked with Stiles ahead of us. "I mean, this is pretty far out."

"I'm sure." Scott answered with a nod, glancing at me over his shoulder. He gave me a somewhat sad look and I had to blink to rid myself of my own feelings of guilt. "Trust me, I don't like where this leads either."

Scott turned back around and continued his trek. Allison walked beside me, a shoulder's length apart. She had her head down and her hands jammed into the pockets of her own jacket. Her hair hid her face from me, but I didn't have to see it to know that it was probably not an expression I wanted to see at the moment. As much as it killed me, I knew I had to give her time and space. Allison and I had never been on the outs like this before. I betrayed her trust and I knew that was something that was important to her. I would do whatever it took to get her back, if that were even possible.

After a few more minutes of silently hiking, I saw the edge of the treeline that opened up to reveal the familiar, decrepit house. I wondered if it were possible for it to look even worse than it had before. As I looked up at it, I felt the same fear I had that night when I knew that there was something inside of the house. I could see Peter standing in the clearing once again, fully transformed into the monster he was. I could see him holding Scott by the throat and hear my scream of horror when I thought he might lose his life. Scott and I had both gone through that traumatic experience together, but neither of us had chosen to talk about it. If I were being honest with myself, I wasn't ready to discuss anything from that night.

"She came here?" Stiles then asked, turning to look at his best friend. I could tell by the tone of his voice that he wasn't entirely convinced. "You're sure?"

"Yeah," Scott answered for the second time this evening. "This is where the scent leads."

Stiles walked a few steps further and the rest of the group followed him. We were all timid and reluctant-none of us wanted to be back here. "Alright, but, has Lydia ever been here?" Stiles inquired.

I shook my head almost immediately. "Never." I answered confidently. "There is no way she would've come out here without saying something to Allison and I. She hates being out in the woods anyways."

Stiles slapped his hands down at his sides and shook his head, obviously not liking that answer. It was always easy to tell how much Stiles cared about Lydia. It was mostly obvious in the way he acted in certain situations. Stiles had not hesitated to take direct action once Lydia was gone and had become frustrated with the situation entirely. That was why there was a part of me that was convinced he was still in love with her. Maybe our moment had just been something that sprouted from a moment of desperation-fear. Stiles thought he might die.

"Maybe she came here on instinct-like she was looking for Derek?" Allison suggested to Scott as Stiles moved on forward by himself. I had decided to keep some distance between him and I, not wanting to make him anymore anxious than he already was.

"But, Peter bit her." I reminded the two of them, keeping my voice low. "And she still had the stitches when she woke up which meant she didn't heal. It didn't exactly look like she was dying either."

"Allison means that...she might be looking for an alpha." Scott said, the last part seeming almost forced as he told us.

I glanced at Scott who was staring forward, suddenly reminded of how the cure had been ripped from his clutch before he even got the chance. During all of this, I had almost forgotten that Scott was the one who had truly lost everything that he had been working for that night. He had wanted the cure so he could be with Allison and be a normal, teenage boy again. Derek had been selfish enough to take that from an innocent kid.

"Wolves need a pack, right?" Allison continued on with the conversation.

"Not all of them." Scott argued, also then tucking his hands in his pockets.

"Peter didn't have one." I said, shaking my head and swallowing hard. "But, he was trying to get one and that started with Scott."

"But, would Lydia have been drawn to an alpha?" Allison inquired, coming to a stop just before we were met with the Hale house. "Is it an instinct to be part of a pack?"

"Yeah, we're-we're stronger in packs." Scott answered, nodding his head.

"Like, strength in numbers?" Allison concluded as Scott turned to look up towards the house.

When I turned to follow his gaze, I saw Stiles standing alone. He, too, had stopped walking and was now just starting at the house itself. I could see his foot tapping lightly against the forest floor and figured there was no use in inserting myself into Scott and Allison's conversation. They could find the solution on their own, just like Peter always reminded me. I wasn't needed in order to find the answer to the world's most asked questions. Everyone was just fine without me.

I walked up beside Stiles, standing just a few inches away from him. I glanced at the side of his face and then swallowed passed the nerves in my throat. "We're gonna find her." I said softly, my voice sounding almost too loud in the dead of night. "I know we are."

"I just-I don't get it." Stiles grunted, dropping his head down to stare at the ground. "How does someone just disappear from their hospital room? How does Lydia just vanish?"

"There's a lot of things I don't understand about any of this, Stiles." I replied, letting out a small laugh but it was in no way humorous. It was almost a weak sort of exhale. "Like, how Lydia wasn't healing from the bite, but she didn't die? Why did Peter bite Lydia in the first place? Why did Derek turn against all of us?"

"Because, he's a brooding, narcissistic piece of crap who has been a total creep since the beginning of all of this." Stiles quipped without missing a beat, scoffing as though that question was the stupidest thing he'd heard all week. "There, I answered that for you. I'm afraid that's the only one I have, though."

"Of course," I snorted, rolling my eyes. "When it comes to degrading Derek, you're first on the list. I would really expect nothing less."

Stiles let out a soft chuckle, a lopsided smile appearing on his lips before it fluttered away. A moment of silence passed between us and he gently prodded the ground with his shoe. "I'm gonna look around, see if I can find anything."

He cleared his throat somewhat aggressively before wandering off. I grimaced slightly at the abrupt exit and let out a deep sigh. I blinked a few times and then began to do the same as Stiles had said. I only went within a few feet of the house, scared to go any further. I could see through the open door and down the, once, hallway. The stairs were still as messed up as I remembered and the open roof allowed rays of moonlight to be invited in. It illuminated the eerie space and reminded me of the horrors that had happened inside.

My family had once lost their lives just passed those doors at the hand of my best friend's aunt who had also died. Peter had died not far off from the house.

Suddenly, as if it were calling to me, my feet slowly began to move towards the house. I found myself climbing up the steps and into the foyer. Slowly, my head turned to look inside of the sitting room and a shaky breath left my lips once my eyes caught sight of the floor. There was a large, dark black puddle directly where Kate's body had been. The blood had dried and now left a piece of her death inside the house. I didn't fail to notice that the spot right next to it looked like there was new wood placed over the top of it. My eyes narrowed and I wandered further into that room, crouching down to touch the wood with my fingers. It occured to me then that Peter's body had to come somewhere. Derek had buried it directly where I was standing.

Horrified by the thought, I quickly left the room and decided to just leave the house entirely. Once I was out, I felt like the air was easier to breathe. I marched back over to the group, desperate to be back in the safe company of my friends.

"Whoa, hey, look at this." Stiles called as soon as I had made it back over and I looked between the couple to find that he had found a string. It stretched between two trees and I realized that it wasn't just a random string some kids had put up. "You see this?"

"I think that it's tripwire." I voiced, sounding timid and almost confused. I watched as Stiles pulled upwards on it, but nothing happened in front of us.

"Stiles?" Scott called out from behind the group.

"Yeah, buddy-oh."

I turned around to find that the tripwire had, in fact, done something. I placed a hand over my mouth to try and stifle my laughter but it was nearly impossible. Scott was dangling in front of us by his ankle, the wire having set off a trap.

"Next time you see a tripwire, don't trip it." Scott suggested, his face already turning slightly red from the angle he was at.

"Yeah, noted." Stiles mumbled awkwardly.

The three of us moved forward in an effort to help Scott, but his hands suddenly flew up and a look of alarm crossed his features. "Wait, wait, wait," He hissed frantically. "Someone's coming. Hide! Go!"

Hearing the fear in Scott's tone, Stiles grabbed me by the shoulders and spun me around to run in the other direction. I grabbed Allison's hand to pull her along. We began to race back down the hill we had just come up, the leaves crunching underneath our feet noisily.

We slid down the hill and then Stiles swung me around a large patch of trees. We were just a few yards off from Scott where he still hung limply. He struggled to get himself out and when I saw who he had been talking about, a sharp gasp left my lips. I went to move forward but Stiles barred an arm across my chest. He pulled me into him, holding my tightly so I couldn't move. Then, his hand moved over my mouth while he looked over his own shoulder to watch as Mr. Argent descended upon Scott. I struggled for a few more minutes but, realized my attempts were futile against Stiles.

"Don't move, don't make a single noise." Stiles' lips were directly next to my ear now and I could hear the fear in his own voice that made me do exactly as he said. My eyes darted to Allison who was hiding behind another tree with her own hand over her mouth. "I can't hear anything they're saying, but I caught Lydia's name."

After a few minutes of waiting in painful silence, Mr. Argent and his two men stalked away in the direction they had come. Once they were out of sight, Stiles released me and I was sprinting towards Scott without a second to waste.

"You okay?" Allison questioned as soon as the three of us all were surrounding Scott.

"It's just another life-threatening conversation with your Dad." Scott responded with fake enthusiasm, a sarcastic smile appearing on his lips.

"What a weird kink to have." I hummed, placing my hands on my hips and Allison gave me an angry glare while Stiles made a noise of disgust.

"Stiles, help me with this." Allison ordered and walked over to where the trap had been initially placed before we had tripped it.

I stood off to the side and watched as the two fiddled with the contraption. Just a few seconds later, we heard a small thud from behind us. Once I turned around, I saw that Scott had his claws out on his fingertips and was standing upright again.

"Thanks, but, I think I got it." Scott told us, his voice somewhat proud of the fact that he'd gotten himself down.

Stiles, Allison, and I let out a small chuckle. Sometimes, I felt like we forgot that Scott was a werewolf and had abilities we couldn't possess. I liked to keep it that way because then I didn't feel so anxious and afraid all the time. I had normal friends in a normal town at a normal high school. Although, that had never seemed like me, I accepted it. This was my life now.

We had spent the better part of the night searching the Hale house completely for an answer. None of us wanted to be there so we made sure to carefully check for any clues, but we also didn't linger. As soon as we came to a resolution, we exited the charred fortress and stood outside to discuss our next plan of attack. I had to start going back to school or else the system would start to point fingers at Andre. I wasn't ready to deal with CPS on top of all the other shit I had to juggle, but the thought of leaving Lydia out here all alone was terrifying. It took a few minutes of heated arguing to convince me to go home for the night. I hadn't been home in four days and Andre was bound to have questions, especially after tonight.

Stiles dropped me off first, probably because he was worried I might somehow convince him that I needed to keep looking for Lydia if I stayed any longer. Regardless, I climbed out of the Jeep and was walking up towards the front door when something pulled me back.

"Tessa!"

I turned around to see that Scott had his head out the window slightly and there was the hint of a smile on his face. "Thank you for everything tonight." He said, his voice laced with honesty. "I promise you I'll call if I find anything."

"Thanks, Scott." I murmured and smiled weakly, giving him a curt wave before continuing on inside the house.

There was a light on inside the kitchen and I could see Andre at the island, a laptop open in front of her. She seemed to be deep into some reading, but jumped when she heard the door shut. Whipping around, a look of relief washed over her features once she realized it with me.

"I never thought it would be so weird to see you standing inside our house." Andre revealed with a soft snort, getting up from her seat to walk over. She met me with a hug and held me tightly for a few long seconds. "It's good to see you."

"I decided that it was time to come home." I murmured against her shoulder, staring at the floor as I tried to keep my emotions in check. Being in the arms of my sister was an experience I would never get used to. Andre had always been my safe space, even if we had been split for a few days. She never failed to make me feel comforted and loved.

Andre released me and walked back towards the kitchen, my feet following her upon instinct. I looked around at the island now fully in my vision and saw a stack of papers.

I let out a groan and squeezed my eyes shut. "Please tell me that this isn't-"

"-all of the homework you missed on Monday and Tuesday." She finished, smiling at me even despite my expression. "You would kill me if I let you get behind and I can't have the school up my ass right now."

"Great. I will slave away doing countless hours of homework while my best friend is wandering the forest terrified out of her mind and hunters on her naked ass." I told my sister bitterly, flicking through a few pieces of paper. When I lifted up a packet, a small envelope fell from the stack and I furrowed my brow. "What is this?'

"I have no idea." Andre admitted, shaking her head. "It came in the mail yesterday and I was waiting until I had the chance to be there with you when you opened it."

Still confused, I slipped my fingers underneath the fold and opened the envelope. It was a small white card and I pulled it open to find cursive writing on the inside.

_Dear Ms. Bradley,_

_I know it seems rather unconventional, but I request your presence at Kate's funeral this weekend. There are some people I want you to meet._

_Mr. Argent._

"Holy shit," I breathed out, the feeling of bile rising in my throat making me swallow hard. I dropped the card on the counter and then looked up at Andre. "I'm invited to her fucking funeral."

* * *

"What do you mean he sent you a note?" Allison requested diligently, walking with me from the parking lot to the front of the school. I had heeded all warnings I had given myself to stay away from her. Her father had sent me a note requesting my attendance at Kate's funeral. She deserved to know that.

"Take a look for yourself." I told her and reached into my pocket, withdrawing the letter I had read last night. She was silent as she looked over it and I saw her face drop.

"Oh, God."

"Yeah, you know those "others" they were talking about? I think your Dad wants me to get to know them a little better, too." I said, shaking my head. "Which makes no sense because, last I checked, I was on the other team."

Allison was quiet for a few moments as she thought and she pulled her lip in between her teeth. "Maybe he wants to rattle you a little bit? I mean, he told Scott to stay away from me, but he never said anything about you." She explained. "Instead of threatening you directly, he's trying to make someone else do it for him."

"Well, now, I have to go to her funeral. That was not exactly on my list of things to do today. My first priority was sprinting down to the police station and begging for any new information they might've gotten on Lydia." I told Allison, scrubbing a hand down my face and sighing. "I hardly even slept last night."

"I don't think you need the actual police to tell you." Allison then said and I saw that she was looking somewhere off in the distance. I turned around and saw Stiles standing with Scott just at the friend of the school. When I made eye contact with them, Stiles waved me over spastically.

"I should-"

"No, I understand. I can't be seen with him anyways." Allison cut me off with a weak smile before ducking her head and walking off in the other direction.

I scurried across the lot to the boys. "What is it?" I requested as soon as I was within earshot.

"My Dad responded to a call of a grave robbery at the cemetary last night." Stiles explained, looking between Scott and I. "The K-9 unit had led them there. They said the robber stole...stole the body's liver."

"She ate the liver?" Scott asked, sounding disgusted by the thought as we began our trek up the sidewalk leading into the school building.

"No, I didn't say she ate it. I just said it was missing." Stiles clarified and then let out a dramatic sigh, shaking his head. "And even if she did, so what? It's the most nutritious part of the body."

"Oh, so it's normal for Lydia to go around eating internal organs, now?" I asked, raising my eyebrows at the boy. I swiftly slapped him in the shoulder. "She is not a cannibal!"

"I never ate anyone's liver." Scott then pointed out, pointing to himself and shaking his head. "I never ate anyone's liver before I turned into a werewolf."

"That's because it's not a normal, humane thing to do, Scott." I stated firmly with a pointed look at Stiles who was still holding his arm with a solid glare.

"Oh, sure, because when you're a werewolf you're a real model when it comes to self control." Stiles scoffed as he turned that glare towards his best friend. "Actually, wait, you're the test case for this. So, we should be going over what happened to you."

The group came to a halt as Stiles made the suggestion and Scott looked nothing but confused, as always. "What do you mean?" He asked.

"I mean, what was going through your mind when you were turning, ya know? What were you drawn to?" Stiles clarified, trying to paint the picture clearer for Scott.

I still wasn't entirely convinced that Lydia was turning into a werewolf. Somehow, there was something that made the boys believe that she might be turning but everything seemed so much different than when Scott turned. He didn't disappear as far as I knew and he sure as hell hadn't gone grave robbing.

"Allison." Scott answered Stiles, making me roll my eyes. I should've expected that answer, but it was still annoying. I wondered if there would ever be anything that didn't involve Allison for Scott. It was making it really hard to keep his life.

"Okay, nothing else?" Stiles asked exasperatedly, obviously not liking the answer as much as myself. "Seriously?"

"Nothing else mattered." Scott replied and then he saw the disappointed look on Stiles' face. "But, that's good though, right? Cause the night that Lydia was bit, she was with you."

I stumbled slightly in my stance with the words left Scott's mouth. I knew exactly what he was suggesting and the thought still made me sick to my stomach. I felt a slight ache exactly where my heart was now thudding and I had to look away from the group to compose myself for a moment. Even Scott, Stiles' best friend, knew that the boy was hopelessly in love with her. To think for one second that I had even been a consideration in Stiles' mind was foolish. Part of me wondered if the kiss had even mattered to him. Neither of us have even breached the subject and maybe we were never going to. Maybe we were meant to pass sarcastic comments back and forth for the rest of our lives.

"Yeah, but she was-she was looking for Jackson." Stiles responded as he aggressively pulled his backpack up back onto his shoulder.

In my attempt to zone out the conversation at this point, I spotted a car pulling into the lot at a fast speed. Once I recognized what type it was, I internally groaned. I hadn't seen Jackson since the night he left me at the hospital and he hadn't come to visit Lydia either. Regardless of what he'd done for her that night, I still despised his presence with every living being inside my body. All of the disgust I possessed was now directed strictly at Jackson Whitmore.

The bell rang and the kids began to migrate inside the school. I walked off without Scott and Stiles, not exactly interested in hearing the rest of the conversation. The information Stiles had given me did very little to ease my nerves and I wondered how I was going to make it through the rest of the day. My mind was so preoccupied that I didn't even notice the stares and whispers that floated around me as I marched down the hallway towards my locker. I half expected them. I had been with Lydia on the lacrosse field and had also missed two days of school because I was at the hospital. Rumors were bound to start.

The morning dragged on, and by the time I got to chemistry, my brain was turning into mush. We were going to be taking a pop quiz and Mr. Harris simply told me to try my best. He slid it in front of me with a sickly sweet smile and ignored my protests. I had been moved to sit back with Erica just behind Stiles who was one seat behind Scott. Harris had gotten the memo that the three of us should not sit next to each other and had made sure we were all separated.

My eyes flicked to Stiles when he leaned forward and began whispering to Scott, something I couldn't quite decipher. The sound met Mr. Harris who reprimanded him in the front of the entire class, which was nothing short from usual. Stiles continued on with the teacher and I found myself stiffening when he proceeded to then give Stiles detention after school. When Scott turned around to look at Stiles, Harris then threatened to give him detention.

Then, Harris' evil eyes travelled back to my own which widened upon arrival.

"And what about you, Ms. Bradley? You three come as a package so I wouldn't mind keeping it that way after school." He hissed, leaning forward on his desk and giving me a look as though he were begging me to try him.

"I have something to do after school that I can't miss."

"I'm sure it can wait."

"No, it-it really can't."

"Oh, really? How about I-"

"It's a funeral, Mr. Harris." I blurted out before I could stop myself, my hand clenching around my pencil. I clenched my jaw and watched as both boys snapped around to look at me in shock. "I have to go to a funeral."

Mr. Harris seemed slightly stunned by the revelation and cleared his throat, adjusting his glasses. "Very well." He responded. "I will see you Friday after school, then."

"Thanks." I grumbled and then put my head down, scribbling random answers onto my paper whilst I tried to ignore the constant glances in my direction.

Seconds later, Jackson was sprinting out of the room with his hand over his nose. We all watched him go in confusion and panic, the door slamming shut behind him. Harris ordered everyone to finish their quizzes or he would fail them.

I really didn't feel like dealing with a really, really bad grade.

* * *

The funeral was not what I had expected it to be. I was silly to think that it was going to be lowkey and that no one would even care. But, when Allison pulled up to the cemetery, I was severely mistaken. Press littered every inch of open space, cameras flashing and loud chatter. The gravesite was all set up for what was supposed to look like a beautiful casket burial, but we all knew who was inside. Everyone seemed to have found out about Kate in the papers, talking about how she murdered "that family". Allison had taken most of the talk, but no one even knew that had been my family Kate murdered. This had been a friend to Allison-someone she trusted and cared about. Allison had watched her die right before her eyes.

We exited the car and were met with Mr. and Mrs. Argent.

"Good afternoon," I greeted politely to the two of them, their general presence making me uneasy. I swallowed passed the bile in my throat and offered an innocent smile.

"Pleased that you could make it, Tessa." Chris responded with a curt nod of his head. He put his arm around Allison and then began to lead us towards the funeral. "I knew this was a bad idea."

"Well, it wasn't my idea." Mrs. Argent hissed back, adjusting her coat aggressively as she looked to her husband. Her eyes didn't even bother to land on me.

"I tried telling him." Chris reminded his wife and my brow furrowed at the mention of a mystery character. I hoped that this was the "others" we had been talking about. "But he insisted on making a point of it."

"Well, if he insisted, then he can deal with it when he gets here." Victoria responded back in a short whisper, glancing over her shoulder at the crowd who yelled at us even as we walked further and further from them.

"Who gets here?" Allison questioned, making me realize that were both out of the loop. It was almost reassuring to know that she had no idea what the hell was going on either.

"Just...sit down, sweetheart." Mrs. Argent instructed and Mr. Argent carefully guided Allison into the seat. He then gestured at the seat right beside her and I lowered myself in. Both of the parents sat on the other side of Allison and I found myself becoming more anxious by the second.

I had borrowed a dress and heels from Andre, wanting to make sure I dressed for the occasion. Allison had offered to pick me up, most likely out of courtesy, but the drive had been mostly silent. Neither of us wanted to talk about where we were going and why. I hadn't been able to come up with a logical answer and I had avoided the boys for the rest of the day. I didn't have the answers to the questions they were bound to ask and I didn't want them to be distracted from trying to find Lydia. At least, I hoped that was what they were doing.

Suddenly, I heard the crowd silence and my head snapped over to them. I saw three new people had arrived, and kneeling just below them was a kid with his camera. Well, he probably did have his camera before the man who towered over him grabbed it with his hand. People murmured in confusion and I watched as the man pulled out the SD card, breaking it in half with his fingers.

"Who the hell is that?" I whispered to Allison and she let out a deep breath that didn't sound like she enjoyed the answer she had to give.

"I-I think I have an idea." She replied back, her eyes also poised on the situation.

The men then made their way over to where we were sitting, looking like they owned the place. I couldn't help but feel intimidated just by their demeanor and found myself shrinking back as they got closer to the service.

"Christopher." The man greeted and Mr. Argent rose to give him a hug.

"Gerard." He responded back stiffly, their embrace lasting for less than a second.

Gerard wandered over to Victoria who gave me a longer hug, also apologizing. I glanced at the coffin for a moment and then back at Gerard who looked almost emotionless. Then, he turned to look down at Allison and I. His eyes danced between the two of us for a moment, each time making me even more uncomfortable. Eventually, his gaze landed on Allison.

"Do you remember me?" Gerard asked Allison, sounding as though he were speaking to a small child. To my surprise, Allison nodded gently and tried to plant a kind smile on her lips. "Considering I haven't seen you since you were three, I don't suppose you'd call me grandpa. So, if it's comfortable, call me Gerard for the time being. But, I'd prefer grandpa."

The air had been knocked out of lungs at the revelation and all I could feel was fear. I now understood that the "others" meant more members of the Argent family. The thought made me sick, thinking about how much damage they could cause all together as a family. And considering a Hale had killed Kate, I wasn't sure exactly where my safety lied. I had no protection here from whatever they wanted to do to me-if Gerard even knew. But, when he finally looked at me completely, I got my answer.

"You must be Allison's best friend, Tessandra." Gerard greeted, keeping the same tone. The look in his eyes spoke a thousand words and I forced myself to remain on my best behavior. "It's a pleasure to finally meet you. I'm sorry it had to be under such...unfortunate circumstances. I am glad that you could make it. I requested that my son invite someone who could comfort Allison during this rough time-bring you two closer together."

"I'm happy to be here for Allison." I replied tightly, keeping my hands clasped together in my lap with bone crushing strength. I tried to keep my body from visibly shaking, not wanting to expose my fear. I figured it was no use-Gerard could probably smell it.

"I'm glad that Allison has gotten the opportunity to make sure good friends here." Gerard said next, nodding his head. "I can already tell that you have been a great one. I look forward to getting to know you better, Tessandra."

* * *

**A/N: I apologize if the end seemed a little rushed and unorganized because it sort of us. I found myself wanting to write more, but then I would be going way over what I usually write. I didn't want it to run too long, but I also wanted to add in the funeral. I wanted Tessa to be there so that she becomes more integrated with the Argent's for multiple reasons that will become obvious later one. Hint: There will for sure be a power struggle between the Argent's and the Hale's over who Tessa should follow.**

**Anywayssss, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Please make sure you leave a review!**

_-Laura_


	4. Chapter 4

The sight of Gerard looming over me with an air of pride brought me nothing but fear. I hadn't felt this small underneath someone's gaze since when Peter had cornered me at the shopping mall. Gerard's beady eyes stared down at me with a sadistic smile and I could tell that he was carefully analyzing me. There was a reason why he wanted me here and it wasn't for moral support. No, there had to be something much deeper than that.

Shortly after, he took a seat at the end of the row and I was relieved that he wasn't going to sit next to me. There was absolutely no way in hell I would sit through Kate's funeral sitting next to _Grandpa Argent_. He looked to be in his late sixties, but there was no doubt in my mind that he could kick my ass if he really felt like it. I wasn't exactly looking to provoke him any time soon. I just really hoped that he wouldn't become a problem. Then again, life never really worked out that way for us.

I was broken out of my stupor when Allison nudged me gently in the arm. I jumped slightly at her touch and I turned to look at her. "What? What's wrong?" I asked immediately.

Allison nodded her head forward. "Look." She whispered and I did as she asked, changing my focus to whatever she was seeing.

Scott and Stiles were huddled behind a large gravestone, Stiles peering over the werewolf's shoulder. I couldn't help the smile that fell upon my lips at the sight of them, a sense of security washing over me like a warm wave. I guessed I should've figured that there was no way either of them were going to leave us hanging in a situation like this. I also realized how incredibly stupid it was for them to be here-especially Scott. I couldn't imagine the chaos that would ensue if Mr. Argent were to see Scott. It clearly didn't seem to matter to him.

The werewolf boy lifted up his hand and gave a wave, a sheepish smile coming onto his lips. I saw Allison give him a covert smile back and then my eyes darted towards Stiles. I could see the worry and the terror in them. I almost felt guilty. I hadn't explained one thing to him about this situation, but I knew I would later. Now that I knew they weren't exactly looking for Lydia, I figured I could tell him why I was even here in the first place. Blurting it out in the middle of a pop quiz probably wasn't the best idea I'd ever had.

The funeral went out without anymore uncomfortable encounters with the Argent's. The ceremony was beautiful, as much as I hated to admit it, and they had done a wonderful job putting it together. For a moment, I found myself seeing Kate as her family had seen her-strong, brave, and cunning. I remembered then that the people who were speaking saw werewolves the same way she did. Everyone in these chairs wanted them dead and they didn't care who got in their way. I was reminded of how horribly evil the entire situation was.

Once it was over, Allison dropped me off at my house. She thanked me for coming, but there was not much more said between us. I had lingered in awkward silence for a moment, hoping that she would say something to me. I was met with her staring out the windshield, gripping the steering wheel so tightly that her knuckles turned white. I took the hint and climbed out, shutting the door as lightly as I could. I hurried inside the house so I didn't give into the temptation to turn around and pour my heart to her. There was nothing I could say that I hadn't said already. I had tried to protect Allison's feelings and I had apologized for lying to her. Allison didn't want words-she wanted actions that matched them. I was determined to give her that.

* * *

As I stepped out of the shower, my phone began to chime repeatedly on the bathroom counter. Text messages popped up rapidly and when I went to answer them, my phone began to ring.

"Please tell me someone isn't dead." I whined, pinching the bridge of my nose as I bounced on my heels and scrunched my eyes shut. "Please."

"No," Stiles answered, his heavy breathing indicating that he was either really excited or really scared. "No, no one is dead. W-Why is that your first reaction to when I call you? Is that always your first reaction?"

"Well, no, but given the circumstances…" I trailed off hoping he would get the hint. I heard him sigh and I could practically see the eye roll on the other end of the phone. "Why are you calling me exactly?"

"We found Lydia." Stiles informed me and I almost didn't register what he said at first. My knees almost buckled beneath me and I had to plant my hand on the bathroom counter to hold myself up. "She's obviously terrified and confused but...she's alive. Tessa, she's safe."

"Oh, thank God." I gasped, my eyes falling shut as I released a relieved laugh. "I-I'm so glad that she's okay."

Stiles hummed a tune of agreement, but then he let out yet another deep sigh. This one didn't sound as annoyed this time around. "Listen, uh, Scott found something when he was in the woods looking for her earlier. He-He found another werewolf."

"What?" I exclaimed, my brow furrowing. "What do you mean he found another werewolf?"

"Like, it almost attacked him when he chased after it. He thought it was Lydia but it was just some-some guy." Stiles began to explain. "Scott was still a little freaked out when he told me the whole story, but the guy came from out of town looking for Derek."

I swallowed hard and clenched my jaw tightly together. "He came looking for an alpha." I muttered, remembering what Allison had said last night about beta's or even omega's looking for a pack. They were drawn to alpha's and Derek was a brand new one.

"The Argent's got a hold of him after he attacked someone in the back of an ambulance. He was also the one who took the liver from the body at the cemetery." Stiles told me, the lines all connecting together as he said it.

"So, that means Lydia wasn't responsible." I concluded, nodding my head curtly. I opened the door of the bathroom and scurried over to my bedroom, digging through my closet. "Which also means she might not be in transition or whatever. It still doesn't explain why she bolted from the hospital though."

"Hold on, Tessa, there's more to the story." Stiles said quickly. "Gerard and Chris were with like five other guys when they caught this werewolf. You know what they did next? They killed him. They...cut him in half."

"Oh my, God." I muttered, cupping a hand over my mouth as my eyes widened in horror. "Stiles, if Gerard finds Scott or-or Derek-"

"I know." Stiles murmured back to me, having thought over it himself I was sure. "But, we aren't going to let that happen. Scott isn't going to die and, as much as it pains me, neither is Derek."

"Stiles, you said there were other people with them. They aren't just here for the funeral, they are here to start something they can finish."

* * *

I awoke the next morning to the sound of my alarm blasting in my ears. Lydia had sent me a short text message the night before informing me that she would be picking me up again for school. I knew that she was trying to get back to normal and I wouldn't deny that request. So, I made sure to wake up on time. I wasn't really in the mood to get screamed at first thing in the morning after the sleepless night I'd had. The whole thing Stiles had told me bothered me to no end-mostly the part where the werewolf got sliced and diced. It wasn't exactly the best news I had gotten all year.

Lydia's Beetle pulled up in front of my house at the same time it always had and I hurried out there to greet her. She looked like herself-dressed in a purple dress with a brown leather jacket over the top of it. Her hair was styled perfectly atop her head and her makeup was flawless as always. You wouldn't have even known that she had been in the hospital for the last four days or that she had been wandering naked in the woods for an entire day. Except, everyone knew that and that was what worried me the most.

"Are you sure you're still Tessa? You're awfully quiet and, as much as it surprises me, I'm sort of getting irritated." Lydia questioned, glancing at me as she turned down the radio. "Usually you are full of all sorts of sarcastic comments and unnecessary facts."

"Sorry," I replied blandly as I tucked hair behind my ear and swallowed hard. "I guess I've just got a lot on my mind."

"Well, get out of your head." Lydia ordered firmly, the sass slowly increasing with each sentence. "I am the one who should have a lot on their mind, not you. Unless the guilt is weighing on you so heavily that you are mute because you forgot to tell me you kissed Stiles."

"What?" I exclaimed, shooting forward in my seat. The seat belt locked on me and I made a choking noise, falling backwards. Lydia smirked, obviously proud of herself. "What? You thought that I wouldn't find out? Allison told me."

"I told her not to tell you."

"And why is that? Shouldn't I have the right to ask why you said you had a crush on Isaac Lahey but ended up kissing Stiles at after winter formal?" Lydia demanded, cocking up her eyebrow. I noticed that Lydia failed to react to the fact that it had been the same night she had been attacked. I hoped this was part of the coping process.

Then, something much larger occurred to me that sucked the air out of my lungs. I nearly passed out from the sudden rush of adrenaline I got and felt my body rise up with goosebumps. How could I have been so awful? How could I have forgotten someone I had willingly dragged to the dance? How could I have forgotten about Isaac at the dance? I had driven him there and I was the only person he spoke to. I told him I would be right back, and then I never came back. I couldn't imagine how he must feel, but I knew how I felt-like the biggest piece of shit to ever walk the face of the planet.

"Isaac," I whispered to myself as my brow furrowed and I felt my throat constrict slightly. I swallowed passed the lump and shook my head slowly. "I just...I just left him there."

"You what?" Lydia questioned, her face also now contorting up into confusion. "What do you mean you left Isaac?"

"I-I told him I was just going to check on Stiles and then I-I…" I shut my eyes and rubbed them roughly. "I never came back, Lydia."

"Oh," Lydia responded softly, her voice paper thin once she realized why I had never returned back to Isaac at the dance. I wondered if his father had picked him up and the thought made me sick. His father had been drunk when I left and the man made me uneasy in general. I hadn't seen Isaac at school yesterday, but I hadn't exactly been looking either.

"Anyways," I began, deciding to change the subject on Lydia's behalf. "The kiss wasn't what you thought it was. It was nothing, really."

It was like Lydia flipped a switch and went back to her sassy self. Her lips pursed together and she hummed, sounding entirely unconvinced. Her fingers gently tapped the steering wheel before she took in a deep breath.

"Fine, I'll stop asking about it. Pressing you for answers is obviously not going to work." Lydia relented, shrugging her shoulders. She glanced over at me and then let a sickly sweet smile work its way onto her face. "I'll just keep it in mind."

"Great." I muttered, sinking in my seat and pushing hair behind my ears. I waited a few minutes before asking my next question. "How are you feeling today? Good?"

"Of course. Why wouldn't I be feeling good? I'm out of that stupid hospital." Lydia responded flippantly, dismissing the question away with a wave of her hand. "And that hospital gown. Do you know how nice it feels to wear something fashionable again?"

"Oh, you poor thing. I'm sure the starving children in Africa sympathize with you right now." I responded sarcastically, rolling my eyes and shaking my head.

Lydia made a noise. "You just don't know what it's like to have a sense of style, Tessa. You appreciate rotating the same three band t-shirts and flip-flop between two pairs of sneakers. You have the fashion integrity of a sixth grade boy." She went on to explain, making me take on a look of offense. "And I'm sure you'll try to defend yourself, but don't bother. I know I'm right."

I let out an aggravated growl and crossed my arms over my chest. "You complimented my shoes the first day of school." I reminded her defensively.

"I said they were interesting, not cute. I also called you my friend in progress, so how is this argument working out for you?" Lydia inquired, cocking up an eyebrow and still looking quite pleased with herself.

"And I told you that I am not a diet plan and that I didn't even want to be your friend."

"Yet, here you are." Lydia cooed, batting her eyelashes at me before she turned into the parking lot of the school. I clenched my teeth together tightly to avoid saying anything else, feeling my anger spike slightly at the jab. I shoved my way out of the car and aggressively put on my backpack.

"Whoa," A voice called from behind me. "It's not even nine o'clock."

I whipped around at the sound of the voice but let out a breath once I realized that it was just Allison. She had parked just a few spaces down and had obviously been waiting for us. The parking was still a little clear and that probably made it easier on Lydia. My anger diffused at the presence of Allison, something that now came naturally.

"I had to get her fired up somehow. It works better than coffee." Lydia commented as she also climbed out of her face and shrugged an innocent shoulder. "Like, bringing up Stiles."

"Thank you for that, by the way." I told Allison, giving her an acidic smile. I clapped my hands together and then gave her a glare.

"Sorry. I'm sorry." She quickly said and held up her hands in mock surrender. "It just slipped out. Besides, we're all friends. She has to know."

"Yeah, when I was ready to tell her after I'd figured all that shit out." I hissed beneath my breath as I shook my head and then rubbed at my forehead. "Let's just get inside the school. I already want this day to be over with."

I began marching towards the building and the girls appeared at my side. "So, you really don't remember anything?" Allison asked Lydia once we got closer to the building.

"They called it a fugue state, which is basically a way of saying, "We have no idea why you can't remember running through the woods naked for two days."." Lydia responded, sounding unhappy with the answers the doctors had given her once she'd been found. "But, personally, I don't care. I lost nine pounds."

Lydia stuck her arms out at her sides and gave Allison and I a proud grin. We stopped just outside the doors and I rolled my eyes. "You can do that at the gym." I reminded her and she simply waved me away with her hand.

Allison reached out and took Lydia's hand. "Are you ready for this?" She asked kindly, my expression softening at the question as well.

"Please," Lydia droned. "It's not like my aunt's a serial killer."

"Oh, wow." I choked out, my eyes widening as I clenched my fist and pressed it to my lips. Lydia flicked her hair in our faces with a smirk on her lips. I glanced at Allison who looked less than amused by the comment and I decided that I shouldn't say anything. I didn't want to risk getting punched in the neck or something way more lethal.

Allison shook herself out of her head and then moved to follow Lydia inside the building. I came in behind her, but almost ran into the back of the girl when she wasn't walking anymore. I then realized it was because Lydia had stopped just in front of her. In fact, everyone in the school hallway had stopped walking and were now all staring at Lydia.

Allison and I came to stand on either side of Lydia, willing to face this moment with her. "Maybe it's the nine pounds." Allison then whispered to the strawberry blonde. I couldn't help but snort at the comment and shook my head.

Then, in typical Lydia Martin fashion, she tossed hair out of her face and began to march forward like a soldier going into battle. Her hair bounced as she stomped her heels and I watched her go with an impressed look on my face. Allison and I stood there for a second to admire her courage. Then, I let out the breath I had been holding.

"That went a lot better than I thought it would." I admitted, nodding my head approvingly. "I was expecting...I really don't know what I was expecting."

"It's Lydia. Of course she isn't going to let something like this ruin her reputation." Allison pointed out, shrugging her shoulder and tucking some hair behind her ear as well. There was a smile still on her lips. "It's what I like the most about her."

"I guess you're right." I agreed, turning my head to look at my friend. "Although, I'm sure you'd like her more without the comment she made outside."

"She just...doesn't understand the whole thing." Allison defended, shaking her head and then looking down at her feet. "I don't expect her to either."

"It'll all pass in due time. Stuff happens here all the time that gets old people all excited." I assured her, shaking my hands for effect. "This was just something big, but it'll eventually become nothing but another news story."

Allison was quiet for a few moments before she let out a deep breath. "You're right. You're totally right." She replied with a curt nod.

"That seems to be a common theme." I chirped with a proud smirk, winking at her. I then decided I had better get to class. "See you later."

"See ya." Allison responded back with a small wave and a smile.

Score.

I rounded the corner that led down to my locker when I was suddenly grabbed by both of my biceps. My body was then jerked off to the side and I let out a small noise of surprise. Soon, I found myself in an empty classroom and I rounded on whoever had grabbed me. Once I saw who it was, I clenched my fists at my sides and growled.

"You two had better got a damn good reason as to why the hell you just abducted me."

"Okay, first off, we did not abduct you." Stiles said, holding up a finger and then he held up a second. "And second off, we have a very, so good reason as to why we grabbed you."

"I'm waiting. You have about five minutes before I scream my head off and get you both detention." I warned and crossed my arms over my chest, looking in between the two boys.

"Mr. Lahey, Isaac's Dad? Yeah, he's dead."

"What?"

"He was murdered last night in an alleyway. No one knows why or who did it." Scott told me, wringing his hand together. "The police came and took Isaac out of practice."

"Oh, my God. That's terrible." I breathed out, shaking my head and then pressing my hand to my head. "Where is he now?"

"The police station. They, uh, think he's a suspect." Stiles mumbled, placing his hand over his chin and grimacing slightly. "Also, we're pretty sure he's a werewolf."

_"WHAT?"_

"Shh! Shh! Shut up!" Stiles hissed as he scrambled forward and wagged his hands at me wildly. "I really cannot have you screaming right now."

"You can't just tell me that you think Isaac Lahey is a werewolf and not expect me to react." I defended, giving him a sharp glare.

"I know it sounds crazy, but I could smell it. He had the strength, too." Scott explained further, ignoring Stiles' and I's banter. I supposed he was probably used to it by now. "He knew that I knew. He didn't want me to tell anyone."

"Wait, so, only an alpha can bite someone and turn them, right?" I clarified, holding up a hand as my face contorted in confusion. Then, the pieces began to slowly fall into my place and my whole expression changed. "Which means that…"

"Yeah." Scott responded back softly, nodding his head and looking grim. "He's starting to build a pack."

"By biting innocent teenagers? Derek is trying to make a ragtag team of young kids to fight against a clan of experienced hunters? Great. This is just so absolutely perfect." I said to myself, laughing humorlessly and shaking my head. "Not only is he a piece of crap friend, he is a piece of crap alpha."

"Would you expect anything more? This is Derek freaking Hale we're talking about here." Stiles commented, scoffing and giving me a pointed look.

"He can't just go around biting people. How does it even help him?" I asked, leaning against one of the desks in the classroom.

"Alphas benefit from numbers." Scott mentioned. "They become stronger faster-just better."

"If Derek thinks that taking in teenagers is going to make him stronger, he's delusional. Gerard will kill him before he can even blink." I said, tapping my foot against the ground. "What do we do now?"

"Here's the third problem." Stiles said and held up one more finger on his hand. "There's a full moon tonight."

"Oh, you've gotta be fucking kidding me." I groaned, tipping my head forward to rest it in my hands. "Please tell me that-"

"I've got Scott under control." Stiles assured me, nodding his head curtly. "I won't make that same mistake twice."

"But, that also means that there is a baby werewolf locked up in the smallest jail cell known to mankind. Isaac has never gone through a full moon in his life."

"Precisely the problem."

I let out a sigh and grabbed at my forehead, trying to collect my thoughts. "If Isaac loses control and does something, the Argent's will kill him. I can't let that happen." I told them both. "Plus, he could out the supernatural world in an hour."

"Which is why we're going to figure out a solution to this problem, alright?" Scott said, holding up his hands as if he were talking to a frightened animal. "I promise I won't let anything happen to Isaac. All we need to do is figure out how to get Isaac out of that jail before he transitions. Isaac is brand new which means he'll...he'll want to hurt people."

"Oh this just keeps getting better the more you explain this." I told the boy and let out yet another humorless laugh. "Is there any part of this that gets better?"

"Uh, no. Not really." Scott answered and cringed as I gave him an irritated look. "I'm sorry."

"Whatever." I huffed out and then shook my head. "We'll figure this out. Right now, we need to get to class or I'll be spending the day in the office."

"Right." Scott agreed and then opened the door for me. The hallway was empty now and I knew I would be late to class. I ripped a piece of paper from a notebook in my bag and wrote a fake note to take back to the teacher.

By the time I got to chemistry, I was getting antsy. What worried me the most was that Jackson wasn't sitting in the back with Danny where he always was. When I had picked Isaac for the formal, I hadn't failed to notice that a familiar silver Porsche had been parked in the driveway shortly before I left.

Jackson lived down the street from Isaac and the only person who would've seen Isaac the night his father died. He would be the only person to lie for his own gain.

I walked to the back of the room and slammed my books down in front of Danny who jumped slightly upon my arrival. "Hello, _Daniel_."

"That's not my name."

"Not the point." I replied back quickly and took a seat on the stool across from him. "Why am I able to sit in Jackson's seat right now?"

"Because he's not here."

"Why?"

"He's in the principal's office." Danny replied back calmly, shrugging his shoulder. "He is talking to Stiles' Dad. Why is everyone asking me about this?"

"Because you're his best friend."

"So?"

"So...you're supposed to know when and where Jackson is. Like, all the time." I responded, finding nothing wrong with my statement but the look on Danny's face said otherwise.

"That's called stalking. I'm his friend, not his stalker." Danny clarified, shaking his head and looking perturbed by the thought. "Listen, I don't want in the middle of whatever you, Scott, and Stiles want with Jackson. Keep it to yourself."

"Once again, you're supposed to be his best friend-"

"-I am his best friend-"

"-so why are you being so wishy-washy?"

Danny let out an aggravated sigh and rolled his eyes, setting down his pencil. "I am not being wishy-washy, I'm minding my own business. Jackson's my best friend but when he doesn't talk to me about something, I don't question it. If it were my business to know, he would say something." He explained. "Can you leave me alone now?"

"Yeah, I'm not moving from this seat." I mumbled beneath my breath and gently rapped my knuckles against the tabletop. I was silent for a few more seconds while my leg bounced rapidly. Then, I couldn't help myself as I quickly leaned across the table. "One more question: why would Jackson be talking to the cops? Does it have to do with Isaac?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

"Tessa, come on-"

"Danny, tell me why. Now." I demanded, giving him a serious look to which he responded with an angry glare.

"Jackson lives across the street from Isaac. That's why." Danny answered, picking up his pencil again. "Is that all? I'd really like to get back to my work."

"Yeah, that's-that's all." I murmured and swallowed hard, knowing my suspicions had been correct. When I glanced towards the boys, I saw that they already knew and we were now all on the same page. Jackson was now a witness.

Harris re entered the room after having left for a moment which was when I had been able to have my conversation with Danny without risking yet another hour of detention. I needed to be free all the time in the world I lived in.

After a few minutes of Harris' lecturing, I found myself beginning to doze off. The lack of sleep at night was really getting to me and I wasn't exactly interested in the lesson. I almost smacked my head on my desk when I heard the sound of laughter erupt from within the class. I perked up and glanced around, trying to find the source of the laughter.

Mr. Harris had spun around after the paper ball collided with the back of his head, suddenly on high alert. "Who in the hell did that?"

He looked around the room and my eyes widened when I saw Scott and Stiles pointing to each other. For a moment, I wanted to strangle the two of them for being so stupid. The next second, I realized just exactly why they had done it.

"You two, down to the office. Now!"

The boys wasted no time in scrambling up from their chairs, sprinting out of the room with their backpacks clutched to their chests. I sat up in my seat and watched them go with my jaw hanging slack. They had left me behind and I now had to figure out my own way to follow them. I stood from my seat.

"I would think twice about your next decision, Ms. Bradley." Mr. Harris warned, his voice cutting the air like a knife as he stared me down. "Your circumstances would not fair as well as Mr. McCall and Mr. Stilinski's."

"What are you talking about?" I uttered, narrowing my eyes at the teacher in the front of the room.

"I think you know exactly what I mean." Mr. Harris answered in a low tone, leaning forward on his desk. "I think you might want to take your seat."

I swallowed hard, clenching my fists at my sides. Forcing my feet to move, I shuffled back over to my seat and slammed my ass down onto the stool. I tried to control my anger as hard as I possibly could, digging my nails into my palms. Mr. Harris had almost outed personal information out in front of the entire class. Not to mention, I now couldn't follow Scott or Stiles on whatever they were doing. I felt the need to be there, but I knew I didn't have to be. They would fill me in on whatever they found.

Little did I know it was going to be even worse than what had already happened.

"He's here in the school in the principal's office?" I repeated as I walked down the hallway with both of the boys, shoving through the hoard of kids.

"He is the principal, Tessa. Gerard works at the school. He is a part of admin. He is the boss of us." Stiles explained, his voice moving faster the more he spoke. He jammed a finger against his chest on the last sentence and I blew out a deep breath.

"Gerard also definitely knows about Allison and I." Scott told me, looking pale in the face at just the thought. "He brought it up but, I-I can't tell if he knows if I'm a werewolf or not."

"He's a total psychopath, if we hadn't already figured that out already." Stiles mentioned, waving his arms around and shaking his head. "The guy acts like we don't know who he is. He was-He was being nice to us."

"Sure, that's what sociopaths do. They mimic human emotion to get what they want. And when they do, it's game over." I explained, shrugging my shoulders. "He's going to make you think he's on your side and then turn Scott into sushi."

"Oh, gross. I hate sushi." Scott mumbled as he placed a hand over his mouth and took on a look of disgust. I gave him a bored look and he cleared his throat. "Sorry."

"We're obviously not going to trust him because we know exactly who he is. And because I don't want to see my best friend in two pieces, I agreed to stay after for detention. Again." Stiles informed me, slapping his hands down at his sides and then looked at Scott. "Thank you for that. I am so thrilled to spend the afternoon with Allison's psycho grandpa."

"I'm sorry, but it's better than Scott. The last thing we want is Scott and Gerard in the same room alone, especially now that he's in a position of power. He could easily make our lives hell if we step the wrong way." I defended, giving Stiles a weak look. "Although, I don't think he would try anything at school. If he wants to keep his job and not end up in prison, he'll play nice while we're here. He's just trying to get close to us, keeps tabs on our every move."

"I always wanted my girlfriend's grandpa to watch me like a hawk." Scott groaned to himself as he face palmed. "I can't believe this is happening."

"Hey," I said, stepping in front of Scott and grabbing him by the shoulders. "You cannot lose focus on what is really important at the moment. We still have to figure out how the hell we're going to break Isaac out of jail tonight. Knowing Jackson, that kid is definitely going to be in a cell. I don't see that prick being the type to spare someone."

Scott and Stiles suddenly exchanged a wary look, avoiding eye contact with me. I noticed their expression instantly and shook my head slowly. "What is it?"

"Jackson said something that-that I think you should know about Isaac." Scott said quietly, rubbing the back of his neck nervously. "But, you can't freak out and go after Jackson. That'll only draw attention to yourself and I don't want you in Gerard's hand either."

"What is it?" I repeated, my tone a bit more demanding this time around.

"Isaac's dad abused Isaac...like really bad. Jackson never told anyone." Stiles revealed and, for a moment, I didn't move. I didn't say a word and I sure as hell couldn't think of anything at that point of time. Memories began to flash through my head of the time I had seen Isaac with black eyes or bruises, when he would wince as he sat down at his desk, and how his father acted when I came to the house that night.

"Not right now, but maybe later, I am going to murder Jackson Whitmore." I then spoke as calmly as possible, holding up a hand. "I am going to beat the ever-living shit out of Jackson Whitmore, but not at the present moment."

Scott and Stiles both looked terrified, each exchanging another look. "Your tone is extremely unsettling." Stiles whispered. "I can't tell whether to run or restrain you."

"Neither. I'm fine."

"Is this a new thing you have been trying to learn? B-Because I think you're doing really well." Scott mentioned, grinning and holding up a thumb. I could see his grin stagger as he also became nervous. "Please don't hurt us."

"For once, you two are not my targets." I assured them with a fake smile, flipping hair over my shoulder. "Like I said, I promise I'll deal with Jackson after we get Isaac back. I have common sense, alright?"

"Good. Great. Awesome." Stiles said and clapped his hands together, looking between the two of us. "Can we just get to class now? I really don't feel like standing out in the open talking about this when there is a hunter, like, a yard away from us."

"Yeah, let's go." I relented, letting out a blustery sigh and walking with them towards the next class we had together. "I just...I can't believe Jackson wouldn't say anything. I could see the marks on Isaac, but he always said they were from lacrosse. I figured it wasn't my business to pry so I left it alone."

"Yeah, well, according to Jackson, Lahey was kicking the crap out of him." Stiles explained, sounding bitter about the subject entirely. "Which sort of leads me to believe that he might've killed his father."

"Isaac finally felt strong enough to stand up to his father." I murmured sadly.

"Exactly. Who's to say maybe he lost control and then killed his dad?" Stiles proposed and I couldn't help but nod in agreement. "Sure, it might have been an accident, but the police could send him away for years if they even find a shard of evidence that points to him."

"And any evidence of his father beating him as healed already. They wouldn't find anything on him." I pointed out, rubbing my eyes. "Which leaves us with virtually nothing to work with."

"But they won't because Isaac didn't do it." Scott told his friend. "I-I feel like I would've known. Isaac was afraid and he-he just didn't seem guilty."

"Well, I'd like to hope the guy isn't a murderer either." I murmured to myself as I hiked my backpack up higher on my shoulders. "The point is, we have to get Isaac out of there without the police knowing. How that's going to happen...is beyond me. The security detail on him will be high considering the seriousness of the case."

"We'll figure something out. My dad is working at the station tonight and I'm not about to let him become a chew toy." Stiles stated firmly, shaking his head and clenching his jaw.

"Nothing is going to happen to him, Stiles. Scott would never let that happen. I would never let that happen." I assured the boy as I placed a hand on his shoulder and looked him in the eye. He lifted his head to make eye contact with me and I felt it...the butterflies in my stomach. Whenever he looked at me, I almost forgot how to breathe and, being this close to him was painful. "I promise."

"Okay," Stiles responded softly with a curt nod. "Okay. Let's figure out the hell we're going to break a werewolf out of jail."

* * *

**A/N: I actually really enjoyed writing this chapter mostly because of the character interactions. I love writing the old Tessa and missed her lots. I also threw in some Scott/Stiles/Tessa scenes which I adore with all of my heart. I promise an interaction between Stiles and Tessa will be coming very, very soon. I didn't forget about any of that.**

**Anywho, please leave reviews. I love to read your feedback!**

_-Laura_


	5. Chapter 5

I was relieved to be walking inside of my house at the end of the day. I had been convinced that I would never get out of that school alive, especially with Gerard working there. The day had also continued to drag out as I anticipated the moment the last bell had rung. I demanded Lydia drive me home at once and did so without so much as an argument. I think she was about as done with school as I was. I also hadn't failed to notice that Scott had magically disappeared after our conversation about Isaac. When I asked Stiles, he told me he hadn't a clue where his friend had gone and he'd let me know if he heard from him.

"You look like you've had the best day ever." Andre called from the kitchen, earning a sharp glare from me. "That bad, huh? I thought Lydia was back today."

"She is." I responded as I walked into the room and collapsed onto a bar stool. "But, I've got a lot more problems now than I did before."

Andre chuckled softly and walked over to the fridge, pulling out a gallon of orange juice. "That seems to be the common theme with our lives." She noted and then poured herself a glass. Her eyes glanced up at me. "What new problem do we have on our hands today?"

"Derek bit Isaac, the kid I went to winter formal with. We think he's trying to build up a defense against the Argent's." I began, dropping my head in my hands as I recalled the information I had learned earlier. "Personally, I think biting innocent teenagers with no sense of self control is the stupidest plan ever. We all saw how well that worked out for Peter."

Andre hummed in agreement, bobbing her eyebrows and taking a sip from her drink. "Okay, so Derek sucks at being an alpha." She concluded with a slight shrug. "What's next?"

"Mr. Lahey was found murdered in an alleyway this morning. They suspect that Isaac might have done it. The police took him away at lacrosse practice this morning." I continued on, lifting up my head to look at her. "The problem with that…"

"There's a full moon tonight." Andre finished, her face falling as she realized the severity of the situation. "And he's a brand new werewolf."

"Exactly." I breathed out weakly and folded my arms only to let my head thud on top of them. "And we have no idea what to do."

"Have you talked to Derek about any of this? Does he know that Isaac is in custody?" Andre inquired, setting her glass down and crossing her arms over her chest. "Maybe he could help."

"I'm sure that he does, but I haven't seen him since he came to me at the hospital. In all fairness, I told him to stay away from me." I mumbled, still keeping my head down. "But, regardless, I don't know what he can do. It's not like he has magical powers that let him sneak past the dozens of deputies in the police station. Plus, the security on him is going to be crazy high. He's a murder suspect in a county jail."

Andre sighed and was quiet for a moment as she thought. "Let me help." She said, making me snap my head up to look at her. "I-I'll do whatever you guys need me to. Just like you, I don't want to see an innocent sixteen year-old boy die at the hands of a werewolf genocide."

"No way." I scoffed, shaking my head. "No. There is no way you're doing that."

"Why not?"

"Because it's not safe."

"So, that gives you the right to go out there and do that?" Andre countered, raising her eyebrows at me in questioning. "Tessa, you're younger than me. I should be the one to tell you when things are and are not safe. I am the adult here."

I let out an aggravated noise, knowing she was right. "Look, I don't even know what we're going to do yet. All I know is that I don't want anyone else involved if they don't have to be." I defended, giving her a pleading look.

"I don't have to be involved. I want to be involved. Just like you. In fact, you should understand that better than anyone." Andre stated firmly, nodding her head curtly. "It's about time that the both of us are on the same page and we can do better by working together. I want to help you and your friends. I see how much you care about them and how much they've done for you, and it's my duty as your sister to stick by your side. I want to protect you and make sure you're safe."

I lapsed into silence, processing her words. I felt a smile twitch on the corners of my lips and I couldn't help but let it show. In the midst of all the chaos, I was reminded that I still had someone who would always be on my side. Sure, Andre had kept my true identity from me, but she thought she had been keeping me safe. It was the same thing I had done with Allison and what I was doing with Lydia. Life had gotten a lot easier since we both understood we knew about the supernatural and I couldn't help but agree with my sister.

"You're right." I admitted, holding up my hands in submission. "You're totally right and I will let you know if we figure something out. I'm sure the boy's wouldn't mind some backup."

"Those two nimrods would probably take help from a monkey." Andre scoffed, rolling her eyes and then taking another drink of her orange juice. She eyed me. "Speaking of a certain nimrod…"

"No, Andre, I really don't want to do this right now." I groaned and I spun away from her, preparing to exit the kitchen.

"Uh, I don't care. I do." Andre said and I watched her pat her hand on the kitchen counter. "Sit down and talk to me."

"There's nothing to talk about." I informed her, sighing and pushing hair out of my face. "He kissed me and that was all. And, ya know, the other thing is that I know he's still in love with Lydia. I'm pretty sure he kissed me because he thought he was going to die."

"Come on, Tessa, I really didn't pin Stiles as the type to do something like that." Andre admitted, shaking her head. "In fact, I always thought he kinda liked you."

"And why is that?" I asked lazily, raising my eyebrows up and not expecting a real answer.

"I saw the way he looked at you. His eyes would light up every time you entered the room and his posture would straighten as if you noticed he was slouching." Andre began, smiling slightly at the thought. "He was here so often, I was afraid you guys were dating and you were just keeping it a secret from me. I also noticed how much he worried about keeping you safe and protecting you. Stiles has always been there for you."

"So-so has Allison. And Lydia." I pointed out, but I knew my argument was weak.

"Stiles is someone who knows both sides of the story." Andre retorted, giving me a knowing look. "The longer you deny that Stiles might actually like you, the longer this takes for you guys to talk about what happened."

"That's the thing. I don't want to talk about it and I don't believe that Stiles likes me. Andre, he was in love with Lydia for like-like ever. There is no way someone can just fall out of love with her in one night." I argued, waving my hands around. "That's just not possible."

"Maybe it wasn't in one night." Andre murmured and then picked up her glass, wandering out of the room.

"Wait, what does that mean?" I called after her but she continued to walk. "Andre. Andre!"

* * *

"I'm picking you up. Right now. So, please, get dressed."

"Stiles, I know you like to think about me naked but I can assure you I'm wearing clothes."

"Shut the hell up." The boy snapped, his voice serious enough for me to blink and then frowned slightly at his scolding. "You know our super big, totally ginormous, colossally bad problem? Yeah, well, it just got way freaking worse."

"Why? What happened?" I demanded as I stood up from my desk chair and began digging around for socks in my dresser drawer.

"Allison just called me. She said that a person working for Argent dressed as a deputy was heading to the station with a box that had a wolfsbane carving on the front of it." Stiles explained quickly, sounding as panicked as I now felt. "The Argent's are getting ready to kill Isaac."

"Shit!" I swore, jumping on one foot to put on a sock while I pressed the phone against my ear with my shoulder. "How the hell are we supposed to get there before that deputy?"

"Allison is helping us out with that part. She-she said she would handle it."

"That is...slightly terrifying but also reassuring." I mumbled, bobbing my eyebrows and then bouncing around again to put on the other sock. "When are you going to be here?"

"Right now."

My head snapped up when I heard Stiles beep twice from his Jeep. I hung up the phone and then slipped on shoes, hurrying down the stairs. I could hear the TV from the living room but I didn't have the time to slow down and talk to Andre. Without a second thought, I sprinted out the front door and slammed it behind me. I nearly dove into his Jeep.

"Go!" I ordered and gave him a wild look. He nodded frantically and then slammed his foot down on the gas pedal.

Only a few minutes into our drive passed until Stiles' phone began to ring. I could see Allison's name light up across his phone and he answered, putting her on speaker phone.

"Hey, did you slow him down?" Stiles questioned, sounding hopeful.

_"You could say that."_ Allison responded and I could tell she was being evasive. I couldn't help the proud smile that I had and shook my head at her words.

"Alright, well, uh, I'm with Tessa and we're headed to the station right now." Stiles informed her, glancing over at me. In that one second, I saw all of the emotions he was feeling. He was mostly terrified and concerned, but I could tell there were about a million underneath the surface. Naturally, I placed my hand on his shoulder and gave it a light squeeze-silently reminding him that everything was going to be okay. We would figure this out.

_"Where's Scott?"_ Allison asked shortly afterwards.

"Isaac's." Stiles answered and then looked over at me again, now looking guilty. My eyebrows slowly rose up and I took on a hurt look.

"You told me you would let me know."

"I'm sorry. I was in detention and I wasn't exactly in the right head space to remind you of that ten minutes ago." Stiles hissed back, shrugging weakly.

_"Hey, guys, focus!"_ Allison ordered over the small microphone. _"Does Scott have a plan?"_

"Yeah, but not a very good one." Stiles answered, taking a deep breath as he stared ahead at the road. "And, unfortunately, we don't really have any time to come up with anything better."

_"Great. I'll talk to you later."_ Allison mumbled with a weak sigh before she hung up the phone.

I watched as Stiles leaned forward and looked out the window at the moon, which stared back at us in it's full form. It was like a constant reminder that things were a total shit show and we were racing against experienced hunters to save a newly turned werewolf.

"So...what exactly is the plan, here?" I asked, clearing my throat and turning my head to look at Stiles with a pained expression. "Because you don't sound very confident."

"That's because I'm not." Stiles replied, bobbing his eyebrows and pressing his lips tightly together. "Scott isn't going to be with us tonight. He asked Allison to lock him up at Isaac's so that he wouldn't lose control. If Gerard catches him, he'll kill him without a moment of hesitation. That means we won't have our werewolf."

"Dammit," I hissed, knocking my head lightly against the seat. "So, what are we going to do?'

Stiles was quiet for a few moments and I stared at him, watching as his fingers began to rap against the steering wheel. "Promise you won't hit me while you're driving? Or scream? Because I really can't deal with either right now."

"Stiles, what did you do?" I asked lowly, turning my seat so that I could face him and I raised my eyebrows. "You have three seconds."

"We need someone with supernatural abilities, okay? Without Scott, we have no one. So, I-I had to call in some reinforcements." Stiles spluttered, glancing between me and the road quickly. "We're...going to pick up Derek."

"No. No way. Absolutely not. There is no way we're bringing Derek." I refused, crossing my arms and shaking my head adamantly. I waited for Stiles to tell me that it was just a joke and that Scott would be coming with us instead, but he remained silent. "Oh my, God. You aren't even kidding with me right now."

"What other option do we have? Plus, Derek is Isaac's alpha. He can at least try to control him while we're there." Stiles justified.

"Why are you defending bringing Derek Hale with us? You've been against him since the day that you met him." I demanded, rolling my eyes and turning away from the boy. "All of a sudden he is our help? He is the reason we're in this mess in the first place."

"Which is why he's going to help clean it up." Stiles said, nodding his head. "Tessa, I know that the last thing you want to do is see him right now, but you can't actually think we couldn't use his help. Unless you have another supernatural being up your sleeve."

"I wish I did because then I wouldn't have to be around that selfish asshole." I scoffed. "What if he outs Scott? Or-or gets the rest of us in trouble? Who's to say he won't turn his back on us again?"

"We're doing him a favor by trying to protect his beta." Stiles answered, turning down a dark lit street that I knew we would find Derek on. "He owes it to us to not be a selfish asshole, as you so beautifully put it."

"Whatever." I grumbled, knowing that Stiles was right.

There were a few moments of silence where I sat thinking over the fact that we now had to ask Derek for help. I couldn't stand being in the same vicinity as him and I really couldn't handle whatever he had to say to me. I hoped that maybe he wouldn't say anything at all and respect what I had asked of him at the hospital. I doubted it.

"I never realized that Scott wasn't the only person hurt by what Derek did." Stiles then said, his voice cutting the air like a sharp knife. I stiffened at his words and I knew that he saw that, but he refused to back down. "You have to talk to me."

"There's nothing to talk about. Derek betrayed us and is now putting all our lives in danger because of a stupid mistake he made." I muttered, avoiding eye contact with the boy and staring out the window. "He-He thought he could just walk back into my life and-and apologize for what he did. Andre would never do something like that and he's supposed to be my family, too. I don't understand how he could do something so selfish?

"And another thing," I raged on, holding up my hand and sitting up in my seat. "How would Peter even know that Derek did that to protect me, huh? How would he even freaking know that everything he did was because of me? That's supposed to make me feel bad."

"Peter told you that? When-when exactly was this?" Stiles asked, looking puzzled and returned the look for a moment until I suddenly realized what I had done.

I hadn't exactly planned on telling anyone about what I had seen at the hospital. There hadn't been much after that, but it had still sat with me since then. I had been so upset in the current moment that I hadn't even bothered to remember that Stiles didn't know. This was a secret I had been keeping from everyone.

"Uh, he...he told me...in a-a dream." I stammered, figuring there was no way I could lie my way out of this.

"In a dream?"

"Yes."

"When?"

"Uh, at the hospital. When I-I went to the bathroom."

"I thought you went to the vending machine."

"Nope. I locked myself in the bathroom, passed out, saw Peter and he screamed at me, then I woke back up." I explained awkwardly, rubbing the back of my neck and now really trying hard to avoid eye contact with him.

I almost launched straight through the windshield when Stiles slammed on his breaks aggressively, the wheels squealing against the pavement. I planted my hands on the dash and gave him a wild look. Before I could even say anything, Stiles began to speak.

"Look, I don't care how stubborn you are or-or how brave you think you have to be but you can't keep hiding things like that from me. I-I care about you and I need to know if there are things that are bothering you." Stiles said, turning in his seat to face me head on. "You are one of the most important things to me and knowing that Peter is coming to you in dreams is insane. I highly doubt that it was a pleasant experience and it sounds like he was trying to-to make you believe things that aren't true. It is not your fault that Derek killed Peter, Tessa. Not for one second have we ever blamed you."

My hearing had seemed to shut off when Stiles said that I was one of the most important things to him. Jaw hanging slightly slack, I could only stare at him after his small speech. He stared back at me and for a moment, I felt it. It was the same feeling I had gotten when he had been holding me just before he left to go with Peter. His eyes were holding a look I found familiar, but I tried not to get my hopes up.

Then, as if it were a dream, I saw Stiles' eyes flash down towards my lips briefly. My heart nearly stopped in my chest and my breathing fell short. He swallowed hard and, before my very eyes, he began to lean in.

"Don't even think about it."

I jumped and let out a loud shriek at the sound of a voice coming from my side of the Jeep. I leapt across the seats towards Stiles and he caught me instantaneously. My head whipped around to find the source, and I let out an infuriated growl.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" I demanded, glaring at him sharply. "Are you insane?"

Derek rolled his eyes and then pulled open the door. I took that as my cue to get in the backseat and awkwardly found my way there. Once I was settled, Stiles made a U-turn and began making his way towards the police station.

"Why is this another one of those situations where you didn't tell me that Tessa was going to be here?" Derek asked, raising his eyebrows and giving the kid an irritated look.

"Would you have come?" Stiles countered, glancing at Derek for a moment. "Besides, she's a part of this whether you like it or not. You shouldn't have screwed up otherwise she wouldn't have to be in this position."

"Please don't talk about me like I'm not here. Even though I agree with Stiles." I piped up from where I sat but I received a glare from both men in the front seat. "Okay. Nevermind."

It was only a few minutes until we pulled up in front of the police station, my stomach sinking as I thought about what was going on inside. I wasn't sure if Isaac had begun to shift yet and, if he had, we were in for a hell of a ride. We hadn't even been able to contain Scott during his first full moon and who was to say Isaac would fair any better? There was also a part of me that was worried he might be angry at me for ditching him at the winter formal. What if he wanted to kill me for abandoning him when I had dragged him to that dance? It was selfish of me to be concerned about my safety, but I couldn't help it.

"Okay, now the keys to every cell are in a password protected lockbox in my father's office." Stiles told Derek as they both leaned forward in their seats to look through the window where a female officer stood, unaware of our presence. "The problem is getting past the front desk."

"I'll distract her." Derek replied automatically, making it sound like it was the easiest plan in the world. Stiles and I both reacted as he went to get out of the car.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Stiles exclaimed as he grabbed Derek by the shoulder. "You?"

"I hate to break it to you, but you're probably one of the last people they would want to see in that station." I reminded Derek with a small grimace. "You were just accused of murder."

"You're not going in there." Stiles stated, giving Derek a steady glance but it faltered the second the werewolf glanced at Stiles' hand still placed on his shoulder. "I'm taking my hand off."

"I was exonerated." Derek then mentioned, glancing at me in the rearview mirror.

"You're still a person of interest." Stiles pointed out, shaking his head.

"An innocent person."

"An-you?" Stiles scoffed and disbelieving laugh passed through his lips. "Yeah, right!"

"Stiles, stop it." I grunted, giving him a sharp look in effort to shut him up. As much as I hated that we had to get his help, we needed it from Derek. He was the only werewolf on our side who was willing to make sure an innocent kid didn't die tonight.

"Okay, fine. What's your plan?" Stiles relented, letting out a sigh and rolling his eyes.

"To...distract her." Derek responded, but he sounded more confident than he looked. My eyebrows rose up at him in questioning. His own eyes narrowed at me. "What? Do you have an even better idea, Tessa?"

"How are you going to do that?" Stiles interrupted, obviously trying to get the focus off of me. It was almost instantaneous-like the second Derek even looked at me, Stiles was jumping in. "By punching her in the face?"

I let out an internal groan as I watched Stiles jut his head out like a chicken, bite down on his bottom lip to bare his teeth, and make an awkward grunting noise. I let my body flop back into the seat as I covered my face with my hands, understanding just how big a mess we had gotten ourselves into. Just as it seemed like everything had gotten better, they had literally gotten even worse than before.

"By talking to her." Derek answered, thoroughly unamused with Stiles' suggestion.

"Okay, alright, give me a sample." Stiles requested. "What are you gonna open with?"

There were a few seconds that passed where Derek's mouth opened and closed like a fish. His eyes darted around the Jeep and I could tell he was trying to find something to say, but inevitably came up with nothing.

"How have you ever had girlfriend's?" I muttered, while my eyes stared upon him with bewilderment. "I mean, dead silence? That's your big opener?"

"Do you have any other ideas?" Stiles questioned, looking somewhat bored now.

Derek looked up to the sky as if he were thinking. "I'm thinking about punching you in the face."

"Isn't that like a constant occurrence, though? Not really special." I pointed out as I sat back forward in my seat and let my head sit in between the two men up front. "Sometimes I feel that way, too."

"Wha-are you serious?" Stiles squeaked as he looked at me with wide eyes. I simply shrugged in response. "You know what? Fine. You go in there and do whatever the hell you want. I don't care anymore."

"Great." Derek grunted and then jerked open the door of the Jeep, climbing out and then striding inside. I watched him go until the door shut and then pulled myself back up to the front seat.

Once I was there, I also hopped out of the door Derek had gotten out of and began making my way towards the station. Stiles followed closely behind me, and we lingered in the foyer as Derek entered the front office.

I had to cover my mouth to stifle the laugh I had when I saw Derek smile handsomely at the front desk lady who was clearly buying it. He began to lay the moves on her and Stiles grabbed my hand, gently guiding me through the room. The deputy didn't so much as glance in our direction and, as soon as we were close enough, we began to sprint down the hallway towards his father's office.

Stiles opened the door and we entered the dark room. He released my hand to scurry across towards a small box hanging on the wall, pushing in the numbers.

"How exactly do you know that?" I questioned, my brow knitting together as I gave him a look.

"It's my birthday." Stiles answered calmly with a gentle shrug, glancing at me before returning back to the small box. He pulled the lid off and my knees nearly buckled beneath me when I saw that there was nothing inside. At the same moment, we heard the sound of keys jingling and I whipped around to face the door.

"Oh, no." I muttered, my body stiffening in fear. "I-I thought Allison slowed him down?"

"Not long enough." Stiles uttered and then ran across the room back towards me. "We gotta go!"

Stiles pulled open the door and we began walking down the hallway at a fast clip, moving through the station. It was when we came around the corner that we bumped into someone who looked like a regular deputy. But, as my eyes scanned over his body, they noticed the large gash coming from the side of his leg. That had been the distraction.

"Oh, sh-" 

Stiles went to run and pull me with him, but the deputy grabbed him by the shoulder roughly. He pulled Stiles against his chest with one arm, clamping a hand over his mouth. I was still reeling from my whiplash and the henchman took that as his opportunity to grab my shoulder. With strength unbeknownst to myself, he slammed me up against the wall and my head knocked against it with just enough force to send my vision spinning. I could hear Stiles' yelling wildly but it was muffled by his hand and I swayed on my feet. The pain took a second to settle in, but I had no choice as my vision began to darken.

I awoke to the sound of a siren going off, a light flashing behind my closed eyelids. The sound made my head throb even more than before and I let out a groan, reaching up a shaky hand to cover my ears.

Slowly, my eyes began to blink their way open and I saw Stiles just a few paces away from me. I let them travel around the room and I saw that there was a cell with the door open, void of any life. I tried to comprehend what was going on, but didn't get the chance when a loud snarl erupted above the shrill noise of the alarm. The deputy cried out in fear as the other body grabbed him by the lapels and laid him flat against one of the tables just beside the cell.

"Isaac," I breathed out in horror, unable to find the strength to move from my spot. Suddenly, someone had grabbed my arm and was sliding me across the floor, pushing me behind a desk. I looked at the person now sitting next to me. "Stiles?"

"Hey, it's okay." Stiles assured me as he knelt down in front of my form. His eyes glanced across my face and I saw his lips purse when he looked up towards the side of my head. Gently, he reached up his hand and touched a spot. I immediately winced. "Yeah, that's probably gonna hurt."

I could hear Isaac growling and roaring as he attacked the deputy, the man still screaming out in what sounded like pain. Then, I heard a body dropped and I looked around Stiles' to see that the deputy was now on the ground, motionless.

"Oh, my God." I uttered as I slowly crawled forward on my hands and knees, managing to stay hidden but still get a good look at Isaac.

Isaac Lahey didn't even look close to himself. His face was entirely transformed into his wolf form and the sight of it unnerved. Isaac's features had always been gentle and soft, one that comforted me no matter the situation. He'd never been aggressive or as angry as he was right now, and it seemed so out of character. When I looked into his glowing golden eyes, I couldn't even find the boy I had taken to winter formal. He had been corrupted by a gift bestowed upon him by someone who had no idea what they were doing. The guilt and the worry of what was going to happen next settled in and I felt my eyes swelling with unshed tears.

I jumped when I saw a foot come down on the syringe that had fallen from the henchman's hand onto the floor. I followed the leg and was relieved to find that Derek was the owner of said foot, and he looked highly unhappy. Returning my attention back to Isaac, my heart nearly stopped when I realized he was now looking directly at me.

"No, wait, Isaac!"

My voice was followed promptly by a loud roar, my hands instinctively going to cover my ears as I felt my body get pulled back into Stiles' chest. His arms wrapped around my protectively and I squeezed my eyes shut, unsure of what I would see if I opened them. I then heard a small whimper and they fluttered open to find that the boy had crouched down into a ball on the floor, covering his head with his arms. Eventually, he lifted his head back up and I let out a sigh of relief when he had returned back to normal. He was afraid, but he was Isaac, again.

"How did you do that?" Stiles asked, his voice shaking as he tried to get his breathing to steady.

Derek turned over his shoulder to look at Stiles. "I'm the alpha."

* * *

**A/N: First off, I'd like to apologize for this chapter coming so late. I was going through some stuff in real life that I had to deal with and I got super busy with spring activities and what not. But, I am glad that this chapter is out! I hope ya'll enjoyed it as much as I did!**

**Please leave reviews. Special shout-out to _Brooklyns Finest Hufflepuff _for her review. It was so sweet and made my whole day!**

-_Laura_


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